blue cheese demythified

I used to think that blue cheese was an urban legend…

In my youth, a neighborhood kid once told me about a cheese that was blue with mold. It was the kind of conversation that kids have when they want to gross each other out, but he was serious. I refused to believe him … I mean, who would willingly eat moldy cheese? Surely, it belonged in the same category as the bogeyman; a tool used by mothers to threaten their children into compliance.

And I was no stranger to funky cheeses. My parents would load their suitcases with oozing, washed rind stink-bombs on their frequent trips to Portugal. So offensive were they, that every article of clothing had to be aired out and washed, while the suitcase itself was immediately banished to the furthest corner of the attic. Thinking about it now, it’s a wonder that they ever made it past customs.

But, of course, I grew up, developed a palate, and came face to face with the blue veined myth. I can’t say that it was love at first bite, but it grew on me, and I quickly developed a taste for it. In fact, I often crave it.

I am fortunate to have sampled many varieties of blue cheese. I count Fourme d’Ambert, Roquefort and Cabrales among my favorites; each one unique, and possessing it’s own endearing qualities. I like to eat the mellower, milky varieties like Fourme d’Ambert, Maytag, and Gorgonzola with marmelada, the Portuguese equivalent of membrillo, that my mother makes every year from the marmelos (quinces) that she harvests from a tree in her back yard. The stinging Roquefort and fierce Cabrales pairs very nicely with dead- ripe pineapple.

On a recent trip to NYC, I stumbled upon a variety that I was unfamiliar with- Mossend Blue from Bonnieview Farms in Vermont, made from raw milk. It looked so seductive that before I even sampled it, I knew that it would be coming home with me.

Having both marmelada and ripe pineapple on hand, I sampled each separately with the Mossend Blue and was undecided. When I put all 3 flavors together, I was amazed at well they played together; the quince forming a bridge, both linking and supporting the sharpness of the cheese and astringency of the pineapple.

I almost always trust my sense of taste and smell, but when I stumble upon a new combination that surprises me, I seek confirmation. In these instances, I turn to the well designed site FOODPAIRING, but could not find it there. Turning to another source, a database of flavor and scent components, produced 2 hits that confirmed a link to these 3 flavors: 2-heptanone and butyl isobutyrate. I love when that happens.

Mossend Blue
quince paste
pineapple
duck confit
frisee
serrano ham foam
sichuan- pineapple caramel

The Mossend Blue is the star of this dish, but the award for the best supporting role goes to the sichuan- pineapple caramel for its sweet, tangy, spicy taste and fruity, floral aroma.

Sichuan- Pineapple Caramel
1 cup sugar
1 cup fresh pineapple juice
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp freshly ground sichuan pepper

Place the sugar and juice in a large saucepan and cook over medium high heat, skimming off any foam that appears on the surface with a spoon. Continue cooking over medium high heat until the mixture thickens and turns amber. When it reaches the soft ball stage (about 240 F), remove the pan from the stove and quickly stir in the cream using care as the temperature of the cream will cause the hot caramel to sputter and foam. Stir in the sichuan pepper. The cooled caramel can be stored in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, if you can resist it for that long.