Not So Hot With Curry (Stilton)

Name: gorlagon

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Product:	Stilton
Date:	09/08/01 (177 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: See opinion.

Disadvantages: See opinion.

I'll start by apologising because cheese is my addiction and like any other addiction it can make you behave in a manner totally out of your control. Some days are better than others, some days I can control it, but some days the cravings are too much and my behaviour becomes erratic until there's no helping it and I overdose, euphoria strikes and I insist that my sons join with me in the cheese song:

"Cheese, glorious cheese, Brie, Stilton, Red Leicester…"

There are many verses, my sons and I know them all. See what I mean? See what happens when I start even thinking of cheese? I'll take a quick break…

… it's ok, I'm now back in total control and while I'm still this composed I'll move on with the opinion. It's about strong, blue cheese. I love them all and feel slightly guilty about singling one out so you'd better have my short list. In reverse order I'd say my favourite blue cheeses are:
5. Roquefort
4. Rosenburg Blue
3. Shropshire Blue
2. Danish Blue

But the winner is (cue nail-biting silence)S BLUE STILTON!

After giving long, hard thought I'd say that Stilton's outstanding advantage over all the other blue cheeses is its ability to contribute to such a variety of dishes, both hot and cold. My passion is for strong, overpoweringly strong cheeses. It is great to eat a strongly flavoured cheese like Stilton with warm, freshly baked bread, but even for me, after a while I feel like being more adventurous.

Stilton can adapt in many ways and complement so many dishes, without ever becoming overpowering, if you use it sensibly, while always remaining capable of giving your dishes that certain "pow". It's as good eaten with many other things as it is alone, and this, I feel is its main quality over all the others.

I love its strong smell, its rough, crumbly yet still creamy texture, and the way it
melts in your mouth with such ease. Its full delights are only apparent after a while, as its flavour builds slowly, gradually, leaving a lingering, long-lasting aftertaste. Sheer bliss. However, once you've acquired the taste and fully appreciate it you begin to want to branch out, to wonder what else you could do with this wonderful flavour.

I started by making Stilton the cheese to use with that simplest but nicest of things - cheese on toast. It was slightly disappointing because Stilton doesn't seem to melt in an even manner, making it difficult to get a consistent taste. It also takes a fairly long time to melt and so it was almost impossible not to burn the edges of the toast. I hate burnt toast. I did discover that, with a little lateral thinking, you can have Stilton with toast, with that other old favourite, beans on toast. All you need to do is stir small pieces of the cheese into the beans as you're warming them through. It makes a rich, more tangy flavour, although even I can't each too much of it. After six slices or so it becomes too sickly even for me!

I'm also a big fan of jacket potatoes, with cheese, any cheese, but particularly Stilton. Once the potato is cooked and fluffy on the inside take it from the oven and cut it in half, then scoop out the inside carefully, leaving enough to make a reasonably solid shell. Dice some bacon and some onion and fry until the bacon is crispy and the onion is brown and sweet. Place the bacon and onion mixture in a bowl with the potato insides and mash with a little milk and butter. Spoon the mixture back into the
potato shells and put back in the oven until the tops are nicely browned. They are gorgeous, especially when accompanied by a nice, tangy, fresh salad.

I should tell you about my only culinary disaster with Stilton, just in case you're ever tempted to try something similar yourself. I'd not been shopping, there was hardly any food in the house,
and it was almost time for dinner. My sons were hungry, and so was I, and my wife was due in from work. It was time to raid the almost bare cupboards and make the best of it. The best of it was tinned pork luncheon meat, baked bean and Stilton "mess" generously aided with a good few spoonsful of curry powder, served with rice. My sons loved it, so did I, my wife wasn't impressed, my sister-in-law went hungry and my brother-in-law, who will eat anything, scoffed it with his usual enthusiasm.

He won't eat it again I'm afraid to say, because the "after effects" lasted a full three days. It's a shame really, because from time to time my sons ask me if I'll ever make it again. My wife won't let me. I'm forced to be content with simple cheese dishes these days.

My love of cheese, and Stilton cheese in particular, will never diminish. Try Stilton, experience its delights, but treat it with respect because you never know, it could take over your life. My cheese demons are beginning to stir so I'll take my leave, perhaps I'll leave you with the rest of that song... maybe not!

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