Sweet and savoury: Delicious dishes made with cheese

Buongiorno! I have been in Sicily filming with my Sicilian buddy Enzo. I got to cook in the most beautiful locations on this great island and taste the best street food. I really loved the food and the autumn season brings all sorts of ingredients out, from fabulous cheeses and wild mushrooms to prickly pears which can be made into a delicious liqueur.

This week’s book is A Year In Cheese by Alex and Leo Guarneri, with recipes by Alessandro Grano. I love to see so many recipes for cheese in one book and it really inspired me to start experimenting with Italian cheeses. In Sicily alone there are 28 types of cheeses! This week’s recipes include sweet and savoury to show how versatile cheese really is.

Enjoy!

Rack of venison with Cornish blue sauce

For the spätzle (dumplings): 

250g plain flour

3 eggs

120ml water

Pinch of salt

Grating of nutmeg

2 tbsps vegetable oil

50g unsalted butter

1 tsp chopped chives

1 tsp chopped parsley

For the main dish:

2 racks of venison

1 sprig of rosemary

2 garlic cloves

100g unsalted butter

500g cavolo nero cabbage, tough stems removed

100ml double cream

50g Cornish blue

125ml port  

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

SERVES: 2

PREPARATION: 20 MINUTES

COOKING TIME: 40 MINUTES

Germany’s light, droplet-like spätzle dumplings work perfectly with this Cornish blue sauce. To make spätzle, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.

Meanwhile, put the flour, eggs, water, salt and nutmeg in a bowl and mix together thoroughly to make a smooth dough. Push the dough through the holes of a colander into the boiling water. As soon as the spätzle rise to the surface of the water, remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Toss with the oil and leave to one side while you prepare the venison.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F/gas mark 4. Season the racks of venison all over with salt and pepper. Put a frying pan over a medium heat and when hot, add the venison. Cook, turning occasionally, until coloured all over.

Add the rosemary and crushed garlic, then add the butter and reduce the heat. Baste the venison with the foaming butter, then remove to a roasting tin. Roast for 15 minutes for medium meat.

Meanwhile, bring another pan of salted water to the boil. Add the cavolo nero and cook for 4 minutes, until tender. Drain, then set aside, covered, to keep warm.

For the cheese sauce, put the cream and Cornish blue in a pan over a low heat, stirring, until the cheese has melted.

To finish the spätzle, put the butter in a pan over a medium heat. When the butter starts to foam, add the spätzle. Toss in the butter until golden and crispy. Add the chives and parsley and season.

When the venison is cooked, remove to a plate and leave to rest for few minutes, covered with foil, before carving. Add the port to the roasting tin over a medium heat and cook, stirring, to deglaze the tin. Strain through a sieve and add to the sauce.

Serve the venison, the spätzle and the cavolo nero with the cheese sauce.

Cheese cake with marinated cherries

200ml whipping cream

70g caster sugar

2 eggs

175g Brillat-Savarin cheese

Grated zest of ½ lemon

Seeds from ½ a vanilla pod

5g gold leaf gelatine

100g digestive biscuits

40g unsalted butter

200g fresh cherries

1 tsp finely chopped mint, plus leaves to decorate

7 tsp cassis

100g morello cherry jam

2 tbsps water

SERVES: 5

PREPARATION: 30 MINUTES

COOKING TIME: 5-10 MINUTES (plus 6 hours cooling)

Whip the cream to soft peaks, then refrigerate. Meanwhile, put the sugar and eggs in a bowl and beat until the sugar has dissolved. Add the Brillat-Savarin, lemon zest and vanilla seeds and mix well until completely smooth.

Next, put the gelatine in a small bowl of cold water and leave it for 1 minute, until it is soft. Remove the gelatine and press it between your fingers to squeeze out excess water. Place in a bowl and microwave for 2-3 seconds on a regular setting, until liquid. Add the liquid gelatine to the cheese mixture and stir well. Then fold in the whipped cream.

To make the base, crush the biscuits. Put the butter in a pan over a low heat and, when it has melted, add to the crushed biscuits. Mix together thoroughly.

Place five 7cm cooking rings or one 20cm ring on a baking tray. Line with baking parchment, then add the crushed biscuit and press down well with a spoon. Pour the cheese mixture over, leaving a 5mm space at the top. Refrigerate for at least five hours.

To make the marinated cherries, cut the cherries in half and remove the stones. Put the chopped mint in a bowl with the cherries and cassis. Mix, cover with cling film and place in the fridge to marinate.

For the glaze, melt the jam in a pan with the water. Remove from the heat and sieve. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then pour a thin layer of glaze over the cheesecakes. Refrigerate for 1 hour until set and serve with the marinated cherries.

Recipes taken from A Year In Cheese by Alex and Leo Guarneri (£20, Frances Lincoln), with recipes by Alessandro Grano and photos by Kim Lightbody.

To order your copy, call the Express Bookshop on 01872 562310, send a cheque or postal order payable to the Express Bookshop to Express Bookshop, PO Box 200, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 4WJ, or order online at expressbookshop.com.