The CheeseWorks is recognized as one the UK's finest cheese mongers. Cheese shop owner and Masterchef finalist Ben Axford sells fine cheese, gift boxes, hampers and other delights from his shop in Cheltenham. Now you can taste this fabulous range of British & European artisanal cheese in your own home thanks to our new e-shop: the perfect place to indulge!
New from The Cheese Works.co.uk a New Mothers Cheese Gift box full of the unpasteurised, blue and soft stinky cheeses the new mums had to forego during their pregnancy.The gift box contains: Quentin de Brie a French triple cream cheese, Raw milk Camembert, Petit Munster a washed rind cheese from Alsace that dates back the 13th century and pot of our gooey Mountain Gorgonzola. It?s priced at £24.95 + P&P. A special luxury treat for the New Mother that deserves only the best.
Visit The Cheese Works now to treat someone special in your life to The New Mothers Box. Sampled by Janine @ Newmother.co.uk and it is the most delicious selection of mouth watering cheeses you can buy! I have never seen, or sampled any that came close before I sampled the sumptuous cheeses from The Cheese Works!
Dinner Party Menu From Masterchef Finalist Ben Axford
The menu - Smoked Trout Tartare with Fennel, Apple & Watercress Salad. Duck Breast, Cabbage Stuffed With Duck Leg, Garlic Pomme Puree, Red Wine Sauce, a cheese course, and to finish Raspberry, Lychee and Rosewater Macaroons. Recipes below.
Book Ben! - host the perfect dinner party by having the Masterchef 2007 Finalist cook for you and your guests in your own home. Or have Ben come and teach a few of you how to cook some of his dishes by booking a cookery lesson.
For the best quality cheeses, culinary ideas and great service go to Ben Axford's award winning shop. Awards include; Best Specialty Food Shop 2005 & 2006, The Independent's " 50 Best Food Shops 2006."
The Cheeseworks 5 Regent Street Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL50 1HE
Opening hours: Monday - Friday 9.30am - 5.30pm Saturday 9.00am - 5.30pm. Extended hours and Sundays in December Or shop onlinewww.thecheeseworks.co.uk
Smoked Trout Tartare with Fennel Apple & Watercress Salad Serves 2
4 smoked trout fillets 1 tablespoon crème fraiche 1 teaspoon chopped chervil 1 teaspoon chopped chives ½ teaspoon of horseradish 1 teaspoon of caviar or herring roe (optional).
1 granny smith – cut into batons 1 bulb of fennel – cut in strips 50ml rapeseed oil juice ½ lime pinch sugar watercress
Shred trout fillets finely add herbs, crème fraiche and horseradish. Place in a ring mould in the middle of plate, remove mould, garnish with teaspoon of caviar.
Mix oil, lime juice and sugar to form a vinaigrette. Dress apple and fennel strips together and then dress watercress. Arrange around the trout.
Duck Breast, Cabbage stuffed with Duck Leg, Garlic Pomme Puree, Red Wine Sauce Serves 4
1 whole Duck 1 carrot, chopped 1 celery Stick, chopped 1 onion finely, chopped 6 cloves garlic, crushed 1 green Cabbage 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground mace 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 50g bacon fat processed to a puree Splash cognac 1 slice white bread soaked in milk 6 large baking potatoes (Maris Piper) 375ml double cream 600ml red wine 600ml chicken stock Bay leaf 8 juniper berries 8 white peppercorns 8 green peppercorns Splash port Butter
Remove breast from duck, slow roast rest of carcass at 165c until legs are cooked through. Remove meat from legs and shred whilst warm. Place in a bowl with the spices, salt, pepper and bacon fat. Squeeze excess milk from bread, add to mixture with a splash of cognac. Mix well. Gently fry off 2 tablespoons of onion and 1 garlic clove until softened, add to duck leg mix.
Blanch cabbage leaves, drain and dry. Brush 4 ramekins with butter, line with cabbage leaves, season inside of leaves then place leg mixture in each. Seal at the top with cabbage and chill until required.
Fry carrot, rest of onion, celery and if you have it, duck neck and wings with 1 clove of garlic until well browned. Deglaze pan with port, add bayleaf, juniper, peppercorns and redwine. Reduce until 1/3rd of original volume. Add chicken stock. Reduce to desired thickness(light syrup consitency is best). Strain through fine sieve into seperate pan. Season. Set aside until needed.
Bake potatoes. Remove flesh whilst still hot. Put through a potato ricer twice. Boil cream with crushed 4 crushed garlic cloves until cream is 1/2 orginal volume. Add to potatoes, fold in gently, season, then slowly fold in 125g of butter cut into cubes.
Season duck breast, pan fry to desired level. Place ramekins with cabbage in steamer for 8 mins or microwave at 850w for 2mins (or until warmed through). Reheat mash and sauce. Place a line on mash in the middle of the plate, turn cabbage out of ramekins and place at one end. Arrange sliced duck breast along rest of potatoes and spoon over sauce.
Raspberry, Lychee and Rosewater Macaroons Serves 4 (adapted from Pierre Hermé)
Tin of lychees, chopped and drained overnight Punnet of raspberries Rosewater 145g egg white 145g ground almonds 200g icing sugar 145g granulated sugar 1g powdered egg white Red food colouring 100g butter Rose petals
Make the macaroons bases up to 72 hours ahead. Beat almonds, 1/2 egg whites, 145g icing sugar together to form a paste. Add food colouring until deep pink.
Beat remaining eggs whites with egg white powder until medium stiff. Heat 45ml of water with granulated sugar in a pan until it reaches 121c. Trickle sugar syrup over eggs whites whilst continuing to beat them (best done with an electric whisk). Whisk all syrup in then continue whisking until temperature falls to 40c, very slightly warm to the touch. Combine 1/5 of the meringue mix with the almond paste beat in well. Then fold in remaining meringue. Place in a piping bag and pipe 55mm diameter rounds onto a parchment lined baking sheet/tray. You'll need 8 to serve 4 people. Best make more in case of breakages, uneven cooking etc. Place in a warm dry place for 45 minutes until a skin forms and they are no longer tacky to the touch.
Bake in 165c oven for about 20-25 mins until the surface is crisp and they lift easily of the baking sheet. Cool and keep in airtight container until needed.
Beat butter with remaining icing sugar until soft and creamy. Add rosewater to taste. Cover base of macaroon with rose buttercream. Arrange raspberries on base to the outside, spoon lychees into the middle. Cover underside of the top with rose butter cream. Place small amount of butter cream on a rose petal and stick to top. Refrigerate until needed (up to 48 hrs) Remove 30 mins before serving.
