Tag: 156

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Fondue! We DO! Stay Warm & Satisfied with the Perfect Winter Comfort Food

gooeyfondueWhat’s better than cheese? Trick question…nothing! But a big bowl of melty cheese (read: fondue) for dipping your heart out ranks really high up there for the best inventions of humankind. The days are getting shorter, and colder, and darker. Fondue to the the stomach and soul-warming rescue!

A quick fondue history lesson: The Swiss have been enjoying this goodness for a very long time. Homer’s Iliad–dated from about 800 to 725 BC–even mentions chowing down on a glorious mixture of goat’s cheese, wine and flour. Sounds like fondue to me! The custom makes a lot of sense. The Swiss have a storied cheese tradition–and cheese odds and ends could easily be warmed up in a big pot atop a fire and savored during frosty Swiss winters.

In 1930, the Swiss Cheese Union appointed fondue the country’s national dish – and the world has been gaga over it ever since. Here’s a can’t-fail recipe for classic fondue…but experiment away! Fondue is a perfect blank canvas for playing around. Alpine cheeses are classic choices and stellar melters, so they’re a great place to start. (Think nutty, savory Appenzeller, pictured below). Go ahead, add some kick with a little of blue, perhaps some creamy gorgonzola. Or introduce a funky note with Spring Brook Farm Reading.

swiss_and_nutty_appenzeller_1Murray’s Classic Fondue 

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove
150 g (approx. 3/4cup) white wine
4 oz (approx. 1 cup) Gruyère, grated
4 oz (approx. 1 cup) Comté, grated
3 oz Emmental, grated
1 tablespoon + 1 tsp cornstarch
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:
1.Sprinkle one teaspoon of salt in the bottom of a small saucepan.
2.Cut garlic clove in half and rub the inside of the pan, starting at the salt.
3.Heat the wine on medium-high just until boiling. While the wine is heating, combine the cheeses and toss with cornstarch until evenly distributed.
4.Gradually add the cheese a half a cup at a time, whisking constantly until melted and smooth.
5.Add lemon juice and whisk until incorporated.

The Great Dipping Debate

Dipping…so fun! Here are some of our favorite fondue vehicle. What’s yours?

  1. Cubes of your favorite bread
  2. Crackers! Raincoast Crisps do the trick brilliantly.
  3. Croutons
  4. Apples and pears!
  5. Veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, fennel spears, and baby carrots
  6. Pickles and pickled veggies, like Rick’s Pick’s dilly Mean Beans
  7. Fingerling potatoes
  8. Salumi and cured meat. Yes to chunks of chorizo!
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Macking with Murray’s: Murray’s Classic Mac & Cheese Recipe

Murray's Classic Mac

In our search for the elixir of life—AKA the perfect mac and cheese—we’ve tasted many-a recipe, and to paraphrase those Brooklyn bards, the Beastie Boys, we’ve been “working harder than ever, and you can call it macking.” At long last, our cheese alchemy has led us to THE ONE: a recipe we can’t keep secret, a dish so perfectly balanced and proportioned we must share it with you immediately!

#murraysmac

Murray’s Classic Mac & Cheese

Yield
Serves 6-8

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces Fontina Val d’Aosta, grated
  • 8 ounces Spring Brook Reading, grated
  • 6 ounces Comte St. Antoine, grated
  • 2 ounces Cabot Cheddar, finely grated
  • 1 half onion, skin removed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 quart milk
  • 8 tablespoons butter
  • ½ clove garlic, grated
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 pound elbow macaroni
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme, minced
  • Zest of 1 lemon

Directions
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cut a slit into the halved onion and place a bay leaf in the slit. Stick the 2 cloves into the onion. Placing the milk in a saucepan over medium low heat and add the onion.

3. In a separate saucepan, make a Mornay sauce: melt 5 tablespoons butter and add the grated garlic. Slowly add the flour, whisking to combine, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the onion from the warm milk and discard. Ladle in the warm milk to the butter and flour mixture (called a “roux”), whisking constantly, until combined and smooth. Add the nutmeg, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Add 5 ounces Fontina Val d’Aosta and 5 ounces Spring Brook Reading. Then add 3 ounces Comte St. Antoine and whisk until well combined.

4. In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add salt. Add the macaroni and cook until al dente. Strain the macaroni and place into a bowl. Add the remaining grated cheeses and toss to combine.

5. Pour the Mornay sauce over the macaroni and toss to combine. In a small sauté pan, melt 3 tablespoons butter and add the Panko breadcrumbs, thyme, and lemon zest. Place the combined macaroni and cheese into a shallow baking dish and top with the breadcrumbs. Bake for 20 minutes and serve right away.

frozen_mac_and_cheese

Not in the mood to cook? Check out our prepared mac and cheese, which comes in three insanely delicious flavors: classic plain, basil artichoke, and pulled pork. We’ll deliver dinner straight to your door…all you need to do it heat it in the oven and enjoy. Click here to shop Murray’s prepared mac and cheese.

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8 Cheesy Thanksgiving Leftover Ideas from the Murray’s Staff

ManThatsGood

What to do with leftover turkey? We asked our Murray’s team for their favorite next-day turkey dishes.

Brett – Assistant Retail Manager – If there is any white meat left, I thinly slice it and layer with hot peach chutney and Chiriboga Blue. The tart cranberry and rich buttery blue is a perfect pairing.

Dan – Education Manager – A turkey panini! I go for the rich dark meat, on a nutty whole grain bread with Consider Bardwell Rupert, grilled for maximum flavor. If I’m really indulging, I’ll dip the crusty sandwich in warm gravy. Oh yea, that’s good!

Sarah – Catering Associate – Brie Fermier with cranberry sauce and herb-roasted turkey on a crusty ciabatta, so perfect! No gravy for me, as that will overwhelm the delicate creaminess of the brie, but I would definitely enjoy a porter alongside this sandwich.

Alberto – Cheesemonger – Often I just go for a good smear of mayo, but I think the Tomme Chevre Aydius, with its firm paste and salty finish would be perfect with my mom’s white-wine basted turkey and stuffing on toasted sourdough pullman.

Conner – Wholesale – I keep it simple and go for a quick turkey salad. It’s as easy as mixing my leftover bird with SIr Kinskington mayo, cranberry relish, apples, parsley and candied walnuts. A crusty baguette and some Prairie Breeze Cheddar… that’s all there is to it!

Lizzie – Wholesale – Tacos, of-course! I use avocado, chimichurri, black beans, cilantro lime, and one of the all-time best melting cheeses Reading. Perfect for a day of laying around and recovering from a crazy turkey day!

Amanda – Nationwide – When I wake up the day after thanksgiving, there’s only one thing that I want to eat. I take my leftover stuffing, melt some nutty 2 year Comte over it, and fry and egg. BAM! Easy Black Friday breakfast

Andy maybe the best idea we have heard so far…

Sabrina – Nationwide – Thanksgiving Poutine! It’s pretty darn easy, and outrageously delicious. Take your leftover potatoes and make potato pancakes. top them with some leftover dressing and cheese curds!

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