Blue cheese, biltong and port soup

This recipe, adapted from Veld to Fork by Gordon Wright, is the perfect comfort food for a chilly winter’s evening. It’s very rich, but makes the ideal starter in small bowls with bread for dipping.

Serves 6

Preparation: 25 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes

• 60ml butter

• 125ml flour

• 3ml freshly ground black pepper • pinch of ground coriander

• pinch of nutmeg

• 250ml full-cream milk

• 750ml chicken stock

• 125ml grated mature Cheddar • 125ml biltong powder, plus biltong shavings to serve

• 125ml cream, plus extra to serve • 50g creamy blue cheese, plus extra crumbled bits to serve

• 80ml port-style wine such as

Cape Vintage

1 Melt the butter in a heavybottomed pot and whisk in the flour and spices. Remove from the heat and gradually beat in the milk and stock until smooth. Put the pot back on the stove and simmer until slightly thickened with a sumptuous texture.

2 Remove from the heat and add the Cheddar and biltong. Put the pot back on the stove over low heat and simmer for a few minutes; don’t let the cheese boil.

3 Add the cream, blue cheese and wine and heat until just hot and the cheese has melted. Serve immediately with an extra dollop of cream and the extra crumbled blue cheese and biltong shavings. >>