Blue cheese is one of those love it or loathe it ingredients, but when used well (and sparingly) in tasty dishes, even sceptics can be converted to it. With its strongly savory, tangy flavors, blue cheese needs to be matched with light, fruity, fragrant ingredients, so that the overall taste isn’t overpowering. Check out these three ways to use blue cheese in your cooking.
Gorgonzola Pizza Topping
Gorgonzola is a delicious Italian blue cheese, which has notes of tangy ripeness without being overpowering. Crumble up a small amount and scatter it over a pizza, alongside some passata, some artichoke hearts and some mushrooms. The fruity flavor of the tomato helps to temper the cheese, whilst the artichoke and mushroom complement the gorgonzola well.
Blue Cheese Sauce
When making a cheese sauce for a pasta bake, swap out half the cheddar for blue cheese. This will flavor the sauce without making it overpowering. A blue cheese sauce is delicious in a pasta bake, but also goes well with sauteed mushrooms, a nut roast, or even alongside a pie. Make sure there’s plenty of green vegetables on the plate, to balance the rich flavors of the sauce.
Cheese Board
Blue cheese always plays a part on any good cheese board. Make sure you’ve got some dried fruits such as dates or figs to match the blue cheese’s salty savoriness with some caramel sweetness. This is a winning combination, as the fruit really brings out the blue cheese’s best notes.
