Posts Tagged ‘Cheese’

“The very best French cheeses…tasted and rated by Bruno Loubet” – Observer Food Monthly, February 2011

We were so pleased to see such lovely reviews of our delicious French cheeses in this weekend’s Observer Food Monthly magazine. You can explore all our wonderful cheeses in our online cheesemonger, or read the reviews below.

	Brie de Meaux “Wow, this stinks! I love it. Robust, ripe, complex flavour that lasts a long time. This is a knockout cheese.” 5 stars. Best buy. Buy Brie online
	Camembert de Normandie “Very good, strong smell; it has depth, fills every part of your mouth. This is a great Camembert.” 5 stars. Buy Camembert online
	Comté “Tastes very specifically of hazelnuts, which is very nice. This doesn’t last all that long, though.” 3 stars. Buy Comté online

25th September – 3rd October 2010
There’s more to British Cheese than cheddar (although it is one of our favourites). British cheesemakers can boast creating an impressive 700 varieties. British greats such as Colston Bassett Stilton have even been registered as a Product of Designated Origin (or PDO), showing just how important these cheeses are to British heritage.

All of our British cheeses are selected and matured by Neal’s Yard Dairy, undoubtedly the finest British cheese affineur, meaning you can try the very best at Natoora. Click here to try some today.

Save over 40% on our exclusive three cheese selection

For British Cheese Week you can enjoy these fantastic cheeses for just £10* (usually £17.77).

*Only one cheese selection per order.

	Ragstone: A fresh and lemony goat’s cheesse with a close, creamy texture and a goaty tang. (Produced by Charlie Westhead & Haydn Roberts in the Neal’s Yard Creamery, near Dorstone, Herefordshire)
	Colston Bassett Stilton: This wonderful Stilton has a rich, minerally tang and a gorgeous buttery texture. (Produced by Billy Kevan and his team in Colston Bassett, Nottinghamshire)
	Montgomery’s Cheddar: The perfect cheddar in our book with its rich, sweet, fruity, nutty, beefy flavours. (Produced by Jamie Montgomery and Steve Bridges at Manor Farm, North Cadbury, Somerset)

Even better…spend £100 or more and get the selection for FREE.

How to claim your free cheese selection:

1. Place an order before 3rd October 2010
2. Spend £100 or more
3. Enter code CHEESEWEEK at checkout
4. Receive your free cheese selection!*

*Minimum spend excludes delivery fee. Offer valid once per address or account holder. No cash alternative. We reserve the right to refuse or restrict orders. Offer expires 3/10/10.
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British Cheese Soufflé

250ml béchamel sauce (40g butter, 40g plain flour and 200ml cold milk)
salt and pepper
nutmeg
70g Coolea or another hard British cheese
5 eggs (seperated)

Make a béchamel sauce or use a ready made one. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg and add grated Coolea.

Fold in the egg yolks. Whisk the whites to stiff peaks and fold them in too.

Heat to oven to gas mark 7 (220C). Butter a soufflé mould 8inches in diameter and lightly coat with flour.

Pour in the mixture, turn the oven down to gas mark 6 (200C) and bake for 30 minutes. No matter how good it looks, don’t open the oven door during cooking. When well risen and with a golden-brown colour on top, take out of the oven and serve immediately.

Happy eating!

Our fantastic Pecorino Romano has been featured in the July edition of Italia! magazine. Here’s what they had to say in their taste test…

“The Pecorino Romano is Natoora’s most popular Pecorino. It is the most mature (up to a year ageing) of their Pecorinos, with a hard rind and a yellowish interior.

Most of the panel liked this cheese for its firm, but nicely crumbly texture. It is also one of the grainier cheeses from the taste test, giving it a nice bit of “crunch”.

Flavourwise this cheese offers up definite tones of hazelnut, and a typical sharpness. It is also an extremely salty cheese, which makes it a little overpowering, but great for aficionados of strong cheese.

VERDICT: 3 Stars
A good result for this salty Pecorino. To eat on its own, match with the right wine – maybe a rich Chianti or crisp Chardonnay.”

Want to try it for yourself? Buy our Pecorino Romano online today!

Get the best out of our fantastic fresh spring peas in this light and refreshing souffle…

150g Diced Pancetta
1 Onion
40g Butter, plus some for the pan
40g Flour
150g Boiled Peas
250ml Milk
1Tbsp Marjoram
Salt and Pepper
150g Gruyere
4 Eggs

Heat the oven to 180C, place the baking tray in the lowest rack. Butter the bottom of the souffle mould and leave on the side. Lightly fry the pancetta cubes and the finely chopped onion, remove from the pan and set aside.

Make a roux by melting the butter in the same pan, then add the flour, mixing well until golden (on a medium heat).

Blend the peas with the milk in a blender. Add to the butter and flour mixture, mixing well with a whisk, on a low heat, until boiling. Boil for 5 minutes stirring continuously. Remove from the heat, add marjoram, salt and pepper. Add the grated gruyere, 4 egg yolks, the pancetta and onion. Mix well.

Beat the egg whites to a very firm consistency with a pinch of salt. Add 1/3 of the whites to the mixture, stirring well, then add the remaining 2/3 with a circular motion from bottom to top, very carefully.

Pour the mixture into the souffle mould and cook in the oven for 45 minutes. Don’t open the oven door during cooking or the souffle will deflate! Serve immediately.

A crusty delight…

Our reblochon is organic, aromatic and has some lovely nutty flavours. It makes a great match to our fantastic quality rocket! Don’t forget to visit our Real Food section to find out more…

Serves 4

For the Pastry:
1Tsp Poppy Seeds
Salt
1Tbsp Marjoram
100Gr Butter
200Gr Flour

For the Filling:
2Tbsp Breadcrumbs
2 Eggs
Butter
Salt
200Gr Wild Rocket
300Gr Ricotta
Pepper
200Gr Reblochon

Mix the flour with the poppy seeds, some salt and the chopped marjoram. Add chunks of butter, then start working the dough, adding enough lukewarm water to obtain a soft dough. Cover in cling film and leave to rest for an hour.

Wash the rocket and blanch for a minute in salty boiling water, drain and squeeze to get rid of any excess water. Place the rocket, all the cheeses, eggs and breadcrumbs in a mixer and blend at minimum speed for a minute or so.

Roll out the dough, place on the pie dish, cut out all excess dough, roll it out again and cut some strips. Pour the mix into the pastry, then arrange the strips in a lattice. Cook for 40 minutes at 180°C. Enjoy!

Creamy, buttery Camembert is one of the finest things to come out of France and we are so proud to have this authentic Normandy Camembert to shout about! Find out why it’s so much better than anything else around…

Taste: Pale yellow in colour, with a white furry skin speckled with brown flecks, the cheese is wrapped in transparent parchment paper showing the slightly bulging skin with its uneven coating of fur and orange streaks. The aroma is delicate yet full flavoured, reminiscent of butter.

Region: The name Camembert was never registered and a judgement of 1926 stipulated that Camembert could not have an appellation d’origine. This is why Camembert is now mass produced throughout France and even in other countries. Since 1983 the AOP for Camembert of Normandy has been reserved for cheeses manufactured in the 5 compartments of Normandy, where this cheese is produced following strict rules.

Quality: You know it’s good if Michel Roux Jr. likes it! The chef de cuisine at London’s Le Gavroche said of our Fribois Camembert de Normandie,

“Nice blooming on top: the bouncy surface is a good indicator of how gooey it is. Smooth all the way through with a nice tang and an almost floral taste. Lovely, lovely cheese. 5 stars”. (The Guardian, The Good French Test)

Production: “Camembert de Normandie” is still required by law to be made only with unpasteurised milk. It takes 4 litres of milk to make a Camembert. The best cheeses, made from raw milk curdled with rennet, are moulded, then drained, salted, turned over, removed from the mould and left to mature for about a month in a dry cellar so that the skin forms naturally. Just like ours, the cheeses should be wrapped in transparent parchment paper, and the aroma should be delicate and full flavoured.

Cost: We always let you know the price per kg so you can easily compare our prices. Our Camembert de Normandie is not only superior in quality but also cheaper than the pre packed so called “premium varieties” found in the supermarkets:

Natoora “Camembert de Normandie“ £12.50/kg
Ocado/Waitrose “Isigny Medallion Camembert” £15.96/kg
Norbiton “Camembert” £18.40/kg

(prices checked on 04/3/2010)

For more information and to buy, click here.

The kind people at The Observer took on the tough job of tasting some of this Christmas’ must have foods last weekend – including some delicious Natoora cheeses! See what they said below, or read the full article here.

Tasted by Rowley Leigh, chef proprietor of Le Café Anglais:

Camembert

Natoora 240g, £3, www.natoora.co.uk

Smell that heifer. This has a pronounced buttery, crumbly texture.

★★★

Stilton

Colston Bassett 250g, £5.25, www.natoora.co.uk

The best here judging by colour and veining. It’s buttery, with a hint of blue.

★★★★★

Red Leicester

Sparkenhoe 250g, £5.75, www.natoora.co.uk

Smoky taste followed by a cheesy bite. Not bad at all.

★★★

They also had a nibble on our Tiptree Brandy Butter. Here’s what Stuart Gillies of the Boxwood Café thought:

The most buttery flavour of them all. Doesn’t taste of dairy. It’s pretty sweet, but a nice Christmas taste.

★★★

Well it’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it! If you want to see what all the fuss is about, visit our Christmas shop where you kind more gourmet cheeses,  gift hampers and a whole lot more…