What’s for dinner? Luxurious linguine elegant fish fillets and a comforting fondue made with your favourite pub ale. They’re all made with cheese – your favourite Stilton, Cheddar, and Cheshire to be deliciously exact. And while some of us could make a meal out of a hunk of Lancashire and a crusty bap, sometimes you need something a bit more satisfying, or perhaps, impressive.
The following recipes all serve four, so go ahead, invite your friends over for a thoughtfully scrumptious home-cooked meal. With creamy, rich, flavoursome cheese as the star attraction, they’ll never guess these dishes only took you a few minutes to prepare. Bon appétit!
Linguine à la Stilton
Serves 4:
- 300g / 11oz linguine (or spaghetti)
- 25g / 1oz butter
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 500g / 16oz mushrooms (button, open cup, and/or brown cap), sliced
- 225 g / 8oz mature Stilton
- 150ml / ¼pt double cream
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 4 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
Pre-heat oven to 200ºC / 400ºF. Bring a large, tall pot of water to a boil and throw in a few pinches of salt. Add linguine and cook according to package directions, until al dente (just tender).
Meanwhile, place the butter in a large frying pan over medium-low heat. When melted, add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, until soft and juicy. Crumble the Stilton and add to the pan along with the double cream. Gently heat, stirring constantly until smooth and melted. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Drain the pasta in a large colander. Return to boiling pot and stir in the mushroom mixture, eggs, and chopped basil. Mix well and spoon into a large, ovenproof baking dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until crusty and golden on top.
Grilled Fish with Cheshire Rarebit
Serves: 4
- 75g / 3oz Cheshire cheese
- 15g / ½oz butter, softened
- Worcestershire sauce
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 fillets of haddock (6 to 7oz, each)
- 4 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
Pre-heat grill.
Crumble the Cheshire into a small mixing bowl. Add the butter, along with a few drops of Worcestershire sauce and some freshly ground pepper. Mix together to create a stiff, paste-like consistency. This is your rarebit. Set aside.
Cover the grill rack with foil and arrange haddock fillets on top. Grill the fish for 4 to 5 minutes and remove from heat. Place tomato slices on top of the fillets. Then dot each with the Cheshire rarebit topping. Return fish to the grill and cook for two more minutes, until the topping begins to bubble and brown.
Pub Fondue
Serves: 4
- 230ml / 8fl oz mild ale
- 225g / 8oz Cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 30g / 1oz butter, softened
- 3 tbsp cornflour
- 1 tbsp cold water
- ½ tsp whole grain mustard
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Onion bread
- cooked ham Mango chutney
Combine the ale, Cheddar, and crushed garlic in a fondue pot. Gently melt the cheese mixture over low heat, stirring constantly. Add the butter. In a small cup or glass, mix the cornflour with cold water and stir until smooth. Add to the fondue pot.
Add the grain mustard and keep stirring the fondue constantly. Continue cooking until the fondue thickens. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Remove the fondue pot from the stove and transfer to a burner at your serving table. Dip with cubes of onion bread and enjoy with ham and a pot of chutney.
