Tuesday, October 6, 2015

A Cheesy Sort Of Hoppiness


I'm missing Blighty already!  I had to find a way to enjoy a favourite....Hereford Hop Cheese.  It is not available in my area, so this is the best I can do.

Here is a link to a Hereford Hop flashback:

I Want My Umami Cheese Platter



The hops were drying on the vine and smelling strongly of the hoppy aroma.  I plunked some off the vine, reserving some for a home brew, or two.

Next, they were stripped apart and whirled in a food processor.   
  

I looked for the strongest cheddar I could find at the store I was at.


I cut the cheese by accident....Oh, dear.  Try to not let yours break, if you should try this, but it isn't the end of the world.



Put some plastic wrap down on your chosen flat surface.  Sprinkle the hops to form a slightly larger shape than your cheese.


Place the cheese in the centre.


Sprinkle hops over the top.


Wrap the cheese tightly.  You can use parchment to wrap the cheese, if you would like.  Usually, I'm against wrapping cheese in cling film, but in this case it forms well, and retains the hop flavour.



I let mine set in the refrigerator for a week.  It is great served on a cheese platter, or I made a dish with it:

Prosciutto wrapped chicken, that I stuffed with the cheese and massaged kale.


  I then glazed the whole lot with a apple cider reduction.  It would be remiss to not sprinkle some of the grated cheese on top.


The bitterness of the hops toned down by the sweetness of the glaze paired well with a nice Zinfandel.


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