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Top chefs dish up campaign boost
Cooks show support for 'grandaddy' of Yorkshire cheeses by creating festive Wensleydale recipes for readers Lizzie Murphy TOP Yorkshire chefs are celebrating local produce by creating a special range of mouth-watering Wensleydale cheese dishes to support our Uniquely Yorkshire campaign.
Chefs from the Yorke Arms in Ramsgill, Devonshire Arms Country House Hotel, near Skipton, and the Queens Hotel in Leeds have come up with three delicious festive recipes for Yorkshire Post readers, using Real Yorkshire Wensleydale sourced from Hawes in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.
Wensleydale Dairy Products, the company that makes the cheese, is currently applying to the EU for Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), which has generated support from thousands of cheese enthusiasts.
If the protected status is granted, it would mean that manufacturers outside the dale would be unable to make a cheese and call it Real Yorkshire Wensleydale.
Frances Atkins, Michelin-starred chef proprietor of the Yorke Arms, who created a recipe for Wensleydale muffins, said Wensleydale is permanently on her restaurant cheeseboard.
But, although she uses it regularly to cook with, Mrs Atkins added that she prefers it in its natural state
She said: "We use it with ham in our breakfasts as an alternative to a cooked breakfast.
"It goes very well with walnuts at this time of year and it's also lovely with black pudding – they are both natural products from Yorkshire which compliment each other."
She added: "I can definitely taste the difference between Real Wensleydale cheese and imitations. Other cheeses that claim to be Wensleydale have a synthetic taste and texture, whereas the real cheese is all natural.
"The quality of real Wensleydale speaks for itself."
Simon Wilkinson, head chef at The Queens Hotel in Leeds city centre, has created a Hawes Wensleydale and brown bread souffl recipe.
He said: "Yorkshire produces some fantastic cheeses and grandaddy of them all is traditional Wensleydale from the Hawes creameries.
"It is a must on my cheeseboards for its full, creamy flavour and unique crumbly texture.
"But it's far more versatile than that, for example, tradition dictates it must be served with Christmas cake or quite frankly you're living in the wrong part of the country."
In support of the Yorkshire Post Uniquely Yorkshire campaign, he added: "Yorkshire is the biggest county in England and the local produce is fantastic. It should really be acknowledged."
Andy Nicholson, food and beverage director at The Devonshire Arms, has used as much local produce as possible to create his Wensleydale Rarebit recipe.
"As a Yorkshireman I am keen to promote Yorkshire products and any effort that encourages people to go out and buy locally supporting both manufacturer and retailer," he said.
"In my recipe I use as many local suppliers as possible from the delicious Jack Scaife's home-cured bacon to a good strong Yorkshire beer.
"But don't spoil it with supermarket sliced bread."
WENSLEYDALE AND BROWN BREAD SOUFFl
Recipe by Simon Wilkinson, head chef at the Queens Hotel
in Leeds
Serves 4
Ingredients
60g butter, plus a little extra for greasing
3 slices of brown bread just lightly toasted, and roughly grated
50g plain flour
1 teaspoon of English mustard
A pinch of cayenne pepper
500ml milk
200g Hawes Wensleydale, crumbled to chunky crumbs
6 eggs separated
1 clove of garlic, roasted until it pops out of its skin with ease and chopped
Salt and finely ground black pepper
25g of chives, chopped
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C (gas mark 4). Place the oven shelf in the top third of the oven or in a position near the hottest part of the oven, allowing space for the souffl to rise.
Place a baking tray in the oven, this will aid the souffl to rise smoothly and quickly as providing instant heat from underneath.
Lightly butter four soup bowls, flour all round with a little of the flour and a slice worth of the breadcrumbs.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan and stir in the flour, mustard and cayenne pepper.
Return the pan to a medium heat and cook, stirring until it starts to bubble, add the remaining two slices worth of breadcrumbs and remove from the heat.
In a separate pan bring the milk to a simmer. Remove from the heat and gradually stir into the flour and breadcrumb mix to make a smooth paste. Return to the heat, stirring well, allowing to boil for 1 minute.
Stir in the egg yolks, chives, garlic and crumbled Wensleydale. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover with greaseproof paper while preparing the egg whites.
Whisk the egg whites until firmly stiff. Mix a spoonful of the whites into the cheese mixture you prepared earlier to loosen it.
Then, fold the remaining egg white through the mixture taking care to keep the aeration in the mix.
Fill the floured soup bowls to just below the line of the bowl, and place in the oven onto the tray.
Turn the oven up to 190C gas mark 5 and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the souffls are well risen with only a slight wobble in the centre.
Don't open the oven to test the souffls are done until at least 10 minutes have passed, or they will fall in on themselves and won't rise back.
Serve immediately, with some juicy vine tomatoes, fresh celery and dressed salad.
Classic Branston pickle is ideal with this, or why not try some date and ginger chutney.
WENSLEYDALE RAREBIT
Recipe by Andy Nicholson, food and beverage director at the Devonshire Arms at Bolton Abbey, near Skipton.
Serves 4
Ingredients
50g butter
50g flour
300ml milk
150ml Old Peculier or Black Sheep Riggwelter beer
4 egg yolks
400g mature Wensleydale cheese
Dash of Henderson's Yorkshire Relish
4 slices thick crusty break
8 slices thick Jack Scaife dry cured bacon
Method
Boil the milk. Melt the butter and add the flour to form a roux.
Add the milk and mix to a smooth white sauce then add the beer.
Grate the cheese into the sauce to form a thick cheese sauce. Beat in the yolks and season with Yorkshire Relish.
Toast the bread and then pour some of the cheese sauce onto each slice. Place under the grill to glaze.
Serve with grilled bacon on top and some Yorkshire chutney.
WENSLEYDALE MUFFINS
Recipe by Frances Atkins, Michelin-starred chef-proprietor of the Yorke Arms in Ramsgill
Ingredients
2 free range eggs
90g melted butter
90g plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
100g strong Wensleydale cheese – finely grated
25g Parmesan cheese – finely grated
Method
Melt butter and whisk the eggs.
Mix together, fold in the flour, salt and baking powder.
Mix in the two cheeses.
Butter and flour small bun moulds.
Divide the mixture equally.
Cook at 200c for six to eight minutes.
Empty and sprinkle with paprika.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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