Going Spelunking with the Murray’s Team

 

 

Step into the Murray’s Cheese Caves with Amanda Parker

Sometimes, in the dead of winter, when I’m avoiding slippery ice patches and greyed snow drifts on the New York sidewalks or trolling the desolate farmer’s market for root vegetables, I forget about the seasons.  That summer exists in its sun-saturated glory, or spring, with its green grass and rebirth.

I forget, too, that cheese follows this natural cycle the whole year through, each wheel aging and ripening to its perfect condition even as the rest of the edible world lies dormant.  What this means for us cheese-eaters is that there is always something new to focus on, ripe and ready for plucking and enjoying at its peak.  We just need to find it.

So as part of our weekly team meeting, the Murray’s crew went spelunking.  Where the rest of New York goes underground for the subway, we at Murray’s go cave-diving, searching our cellars for just the right wheels to share with our fellow cheeseheads.  And true to season, this week we found rich, hearty cheeses that warm us up and stick to our ribs.

Take Vacherin Fribourgeois, for example.  One of the classic Alpine cheeses that are best in this season, made from the most flavor-packed, concentrated grasses of the summer, Fribourgeois is unbeatable for all things melting.  It’s nutty and rich and just a little bit funky, the Swiss superstar of a wintry fondue.  Try it with a good Comte from just across the French border, throw it in a fondue pot and you’ve got dinner—because who can resist bubbling cheese with bread and meat to beat the February doldrums?

Also in the fill-you-up category are our meaty washed rind cheeses.  Right now, our favorites are the gooey Edwin’s Munster and its firmer cousin Tomme du Berger.  Perfect for this month if you think “love stinks,” our Munster is intensely pungent, not for the faint-hearted but in its prime—like now!—it’s got that barny, umami richness that the Austrians love with pickled onions and brown bread.

Less stinky but equally complex is the Tomme du Berger, a mix of goat and sheep’s milks from Corsica, then aged in Provence.  Firm and slightly lacey, it has hints of the heat of southern France, dry tones like the hay and grass that dot the countryside of its origin.  At the moment, it’s gamy and just a bit stinky with a totally different profile than it will have in the summer, highlighting how much one cheese can change from month to month.

And if we can’t fight the winter blues, we’ll at least eat them.  Bavarian Blue—or Bayrischer Blauschimmelkase, if you can handle that mouthful—is a buttery, mild blue from southern Germany, where a South American cheesemaker churns out this creamy, sweet beauty.  Even though its original recipe was based on the piquant Roquefort, Bavarian Blue doesn’t pack the same spicy punch, so it’s a mellow, smoother flavor.  We love it by itself, since these wheels have a hint of licorice already, or with a seasonal honey for dessert.

From our caves to your mouths, try one of our current seasonal favorites—at least for this week!

Consider the Sheep: La Serena

Cheeses at their best:  What we’re especially loving right now

by Grace Mitchell

La Serena

Should you find yourself in search of an oozing, sheepy, expand-across-your-plate wedge of cheese, do take pause!  You needn’t look any further, for La Serena, a raw sheep’s milk cheese from Spain, quite nicely fits the bill.  Deep in the hinterlands of the southwestern province of Extremadura, a man and his son craft from the milk of their 2,000 Merino sheep these unusual wheels of cheese.  As are many traditional Iberian cheeses, La Serena is coagulated by enzymes found in the thistle plant, which lends a tangy, floral character to the goat and sheep milk cheeses made in this manner (most cheesemaking involves coagulation by enzymes derived from the stomach lining of unweaned cows, sheep, or goats).

This floral morsel doesn’t get any better than it tastes right now.  The confluence of Spain’s humidity this time of year and the fatty winter sheep milk yields wheels of La Serena that are at once perfectly voluptuous, delicate, tangy, and vegetal.  These days, the contents of these three-pound lace-bound wheels cavalierly slides like creamy lava within the rind, begging you to—please!—do as the Spanish do:  gently slice off the top of the wheel, and dive in with pieces crusty bread and chunks of chorizo in fondue-like fashion.

We can’t resist sharing our excitement over this sheepy goodness!  To round out your cheese plate with wedges of wheels that we’re also finding especially superlative in this moment, we recommend you to have a taste of the spicy, cakey, goaty Spanish Monte Enebro, and the milky, creamy, subtle Bavarian Blue.

Super Bowl Recipe: Cielo’s Favorite Super Cheddar Soup

Cielo has been the main man of Bleecker Street for 16 years now, so when he says something is good, you KNOW it is. Right now he’s loving the cheddar ale soup we’re dishing out to our lunch crowd. It’s been super popular with the crowd and we’ve been making as much as we can to meet demand. We’re worried our cooktop is starting to wear down from all the soup we’ve been making, thank goodness for services like https:www.BeaumontApplianceFix.com who can fix it if it truly starts breaking down. That’s the power of this soup and you can try it at home with our super-simple recipe, and don’t worry; You don’t need an industrial cooktop like ours to make it. Something like one of the best induction hob options, or even just a gas stove, will work just fine!

Cheddar Ale Soup

2 medium leeks (white/pale green parts only), cut into ¼-inch dice (2 cups)

2 medium carrots cut into ¼ -inch dice (1 cup)

2 celery ribs, cut into ¼-inch dice (1 cup)

2 tsp finely chopped garlic

1 bay leaf

½ stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

½ cup all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

14oz. low sodium chicken broth

1 (12oz.) bottle ale such as Bass

½ TBSP Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1 lb Hennings Cheddar Cheese, grated (4 cups)

4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Wash leeks in a bowl of cold water, letting sand/dirt fall to the bottom and skimming the leeks off of the top. Drain in a colander.

Cook leeks, carrots, celery, garlic and bay leaf in butter in a 4-quart heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very soft, about 10-15 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and sprinkle flour over vegetable, then cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes.

Add milk, broth, and beer in a stream, whisking, then simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. (For a smoother soup discard bay leaf, then puree in a blender, or use an immersion blender at this point).

Stir in Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, and pepper. Add cheese by handfuls, stirring occasionally, and cook until cheese is melted, 3-4 minutes (do not boil). Adjust seasoning as needed.

Serve sprinkled with bacon.

Super Bowl Recipe: Smokey Blue Cheese Dip

Nobody is more patriotic than Murray’s Field Merchandising Specialist Nathan Aldridge (see photographic evidence). As such, one of Nathan’s favorite holidays is coming up soon: Super Bowl Sunday! He’s such a big fan that he follows all of the playoffs and even bets on them on https://www.fanduel.com/nfl-playoffs-super-bowl! Of course, so many others also bet on the Super Bowl as it is one of the biggest sporting events in the calendar. Betting on sports seems to be so popular these days, with sites like mega888 bringing people into the idea, so it is important that people look around first before they choose an online betting service. Be sure to look at the odds and compare them to others, making sure you find the best deal for your bet. Perhaps some people would like to learn more about ATS.io and their betting odds (see them here). That should help you to find the best odds for Super Bowl Sunday! This year, make Nathan’s blue cheese dip the highlight of your viewing party.

As a cheesemonger I’ve been asked many times for my suggestions for parties, gatherings, weddings, birthdays, you name it. This time of year however, I do not wait to be asked for my educated opinion. I yell it from the mountain tops! You can’t watch the Super Bowl without eating chicken wings, and you can’t eat chicken wings without blue cheese dressing! That would be like watching the Super Bowl and skipping the commercials.

My favorite Super Bowl Blue Cheese is Rogue Creamery’s Smokey Blue. For the last 5 years, this dip has been the highlight of every ceremonial chicken wing eating event I have hosted(aka the Super Bowl). The smokiness of this particular blue cheese adds a rustic, woodsy flavor to the dip. It’s also delightful with carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and celery (for those of you who like to nibble on the lighter side).

Smokey Blue Cheese Dressing

1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper
dash black pepper
1/2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1/4 c milk
2 tbsp. vinegar
2c mayonnaise
3/4c crumbled Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue

Directions:
Blend together dry spices then add the Worscestershire sauce. Add the milk then let sit for a few minutes, to dissolve the spices. Have the mayonnaise measured out as well as the smokey blue cheese crumbles before you add the vinegar to the milk mixture.

Add the vinegar to the milk mixture. It will start to curdle: this is normal.

Add the mayonnaise and whisk together well. When blended, add the Smokey Blue crumbles.

The longer you let the dressing refrigerate, the better the flavor will be. I suggest preparing 2 days before chow time.

Yield: 3 cups (if you need to make more, make 2 batches, DO NOT double the recipe, the flavors will not blend as well.)

Enjoy! You can thank me later.

Thanksgiving Recipe: Thanksgrilled Cheese



Featuring Spring Brook Tarentaise & Fresh Ricotta

From Chef & Fromager Tia Keenan

You know you’re going to have some serious leftovers after your Thanksgiving feast. We all make sandwiches, but why stick with the predictable? This is the most delicious and decadent Thanksgiving leftover sandwich we’ve ever heard of….don’t worry, we’ll understand if you skip the meal and go straight to the leftover phase.

For the bread:
4 slices of Brioche or whatever bread or rolls you have around.
1 pint Half & Half
3 eggs
1 tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
Zest of one lemon
Non-stick spray

1.Whisk half & half and eggs until thoroughly blended. Add Pumpkin Pie Spice and lemon zest and blend thoroughly.
2. Place bread in a shallow dish and pour liquid over bread. Turn the bread once to coat with liquid, cover, and refrigerate for at least two hours.

For the filling:
Leftover: Turkey, Cranberry Sauce, Yams or Sweet Potato (pureed)
4 ounces fresh cheese, such as ricotta or chevre
4 ounces Spring Brook Tarentaise, grated

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Remove the bread from the refrigerator.
3. Spray a skillet with non-stick spray and place over medium heat. Cook the bread on each side until crisp and dark brown. Be patient, bread should cook for about 15 minutes on each side.
4. When bread is done, assemble the sandwich. Begin with a generous smear of Yam puree, then fresh cheese, turkey, Tarentaise and cranberry sauce.
5. Place in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, approximately 15 minutes.
6. Slice the sandwiches into halves and serve with a side of gravy.