26-02-2010

Celebrate St David's Day with Matt Tebbutt's perfect Welsh recipes

 March 1st is St David's Day - the feast day to celebrate Wales' patron saint, St David - and what better way to celebrate than to cook with fantastic Welsh food like award-winning Collier's Powerful Welsh Cheddar?

TV chef Matt Tebbutt suggests celebrating all things Welsh by feasting on delicious dishes made with Collier's Powerful Welsh Cheddar.

Matt grew up in Wales and now runs the Foxhunter restaurant near Abergavenny in South Wales. He presents Market Kitchen on the Good Food channel and is guest presenter for Saturday Kitchen on BBC1.

"Collier's has a unique and distinctive taste which makes it perfect for both cheeseboards and as a key recipe ingredient," says Matt. "I love using locally sourced products and I like the fact that Collier's is made in Wales using Welsh milk."

Matt has come up with two Welsh-themed recipes which are not only easy to make, but also tasty and tummy-warming, and are sure to satisfy your family's appetite.

Collier's Welsh Rarebit
Much more than cheese on toast, this is sure to be a speedy family supper that is on the table in minutes and perfect for a Monday night.

• 3 egg yolks
• 50ml brown ale
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 200g Colliers cheddar
• 4 shallots – finely diced
• 3 x traditional muffins, cut in half

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Toast the muffins on both sides. Spread a layer of the cheese mix on top, quite thickly, and grill until brown and bubbling.

Cawl Cennin, Salt Bacon and Collier's Cheddar
Cawl is a traditional Welsh dish, and cennin is Welsh for leek, the national emblem of St David's Day. This one needs to be started the day before, so you could make this on the weekend for a delicious and comforting supper on St David's Day on Monday.

For the stock

• 2 kg piece of salted bacon
• 1 small bunch of thyme
• 3-4 bay leaves
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 head of garlic cut in half
• 2 onions cut in half
• 2 carrots in rough chunks
• 4-5 sticks of celery cut in the same manner
• 5-6 leeks finely sliced
• 400g of Collier's cheddar cheese

First, make the stock by putting the salted bacon in a pan with all the other ingredients except the leeks and the cheese. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for a further 2 - 3 hours, skimming frequently.
Remove from the heat and allow to settle. Pass the liquid through a very fine sieve and chill overnight. Reserve the cooked bacon.

The next day, remove the fat from the stock, taste and reduce if necessary to required taste - be careful not to make the stock too salty.

Strain into a clean pan and throw in the sliced leeks and simmer until tender. At this point, add some chunks of the cooked bacon to the soup. This is optional - as all the flavour is now in the stock.
Season, only if necessary. Spoon into individual bowls and crumble the cheese over the top. Serve with fresh crusty bread.


Note to editors:
More information from Leigh Roberts leigh@colemanroberts.co.uk 01656 788336

About Collier's Powerful Welsh Cheddar
Collier's is a uniquely 'powerful' premium cheddar with a long, deep character and savoury, yet slightly sweet taste. Unusually, it contains tantalising "crunchy bits" which are actually calcium lactate grains that develop during maturation and are evidence of the cheese's high quality.

Launched in 2002, Collier's is made in Wales from Welsh milk. The recipe is a closely guarded secret. It is matured for up to 20 months and is regularly and carefully graded throughout its development, until it attains the unique taste and texture that defines Collier's Powerful Welsh Cheddar.

Last year Collier's recently won "Best Extra Mature Cheddar" at the largest cheese show in the world, the International Cheese Awards.