BEE’S KNEES WITH ENDIVE CUPS WITH ROQUEFORT MOUSSE, PEAR AND CANDIED WALNUTS
The sweetness of this Prohibition-era cocktail has found its match in tangy blue cheese.
MAKES 20 cups and 2 drinks
PREPARATION TIME 25 minutes
COOKING TIME 5 minutes
FOR THE ENDIVE CUPS
● 1tbsp butter
● 60g white sugar
● 140g walnut halves
● 125g Roquefort cheese
● 125g cream cheese
● Salt and freshly ground black pepper
● 1 large ripe Anjou or Bartlett pear, peeled and finely diced
● A little freshly squeezed lemon juice
● 20 small endive leaves, washed and patted dry
FOR THE BEE’S KNEES
● 25ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
● 20ml honey syrup (see below)
● 50ml London dry gin
● Ice cubes, to shake
FOR THE HONEY SYRUP
● 140g runny acacia honey
1 For the cups, start by making the candied walnuts. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and add the butter, sugar and walnuts. Heat for about 5min, stirring constantly until the sugar and butter have melted and the nuts are toasted and well coated in the mixture. Tip them on to a tray lined with parchment paper and quickly separate. Leave to cool. Beat the Roquefort and the cream cheese together until blended and whipped. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Peel and finely dice the pear. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the diced pear.
2 To assemble, spoon some of the blue cheese mousse into each endive cup, add a few pieces of diced pear and top with a candied walnut.
3 For the cocktail, combine the honey and 40ml hot water in a heatproof bowl and stir until completely mixed. Half-fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the lemon juice, honey syrup and gin. Shake vigorously for 7sec until chilled and strain into 2 mini coupe or martini glasses. Serve immediately.