Cheese Counter
Add a Spanish touch for big flavour.
AS THE WEATHER warms up and our appetite for entertaining rises, we’re revealing our favourite party cheese – and it’s perfect for any get-together.
Manchego is Spain’s most well-known cheese. It is made from the whole milk of manchega sheep that graze on the arid but fertile plateau of La Mancha. Manchego is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) cheese, which means it must be entirely produced and processed in this region. As a result, all authentic manchego contains the unique properties of this special terroir.
Unfortunately, there are massproduced manchego cheeses that lack a reflection of place. It is worth the hunt to find the real deal! The best variety is made from a single flock of sheep and has a natural rind, an ivory-coloured interior and a distinctly sweet and nutty finish, with just a hint of the grasses and wild shrubs native to the region.
SELECTING & STORING
We recommend farmhouse manchego from specialist shops or counters, where you can taste it before buying. Older cheese takes on more piquant, peppery flavours, with a more granular texture. We love manchego aged between six and nine months.
To store, ideally wrap in cheese paper, or reusable food wraps made from beeswax. Place in an airtight container in the vegetable drawer in the fridge so it doesn’t dry out, and eat within two weeks.
GRILLED CORN, CHIPOTLE MAYO & FARMHOUSE MANCHEGO SERVES 4
You will need kitchen string for this recipe.
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce,
chopped
1/ 2 cup (150g) mayonnaise
4 corn cobs, in the husk 100g grated farmhouse manchego (we used El Esparto Manchego Artesano PDO)
Preheat a lightly greased hooded barbecue or chargrill pan to high.
Combine peppers and mayonnaise in a bowl, and season. Set aside.
Peel back corn husks and remove silks. Leave the husks intact at the base and tie with kitchen string.
Place each cob on the grill so the husks protrude out to avoid burning them and close the barbecue hood. Turn the corn about a quarter of the way after 1 minute, and reclose the hood. Continue this every minute for 6-8 minutes until corn is golden and speckled with black kernels. If using a chargrill pan it may take a bit longer. Remove corn from barbecue, immediately brush with chipotle mayonnaise and generously sprinkle with manchego before devouring!