Description of Huntsman cheese and manufacturing method. Energy value and composition, benefits and harms for the body, recipes with delicacies. How did this variety come about?
Huntsman is not just cheese, but an assortment made artificially from 2 varieties, elite blue French Blue Stilton and hard English double Gloucester aged 2 months. The heads are made in the form of cylinders, the height of which depends on the number of edible layers - there can be from 3 to 7. In the cut it resembles a cake, with alternating yellow and white-blue cakes, hard cheese is always outside. The different layers have their own characteristics corresponding to the original products. Smell - fermented milk, rich, pronounced; taste - a combination of spicy with bitterness and spicy, oily, nutty. It is for the contrast that the variety is valued.
How is Huntsman cheese made?
Blue Stilton contains pasteurized cow's milk, complex starter culture - mesophilic and Penicilium Roqueforti fungus, calcium chloride, calf rennet and salt. In the manufacture of Double Gloucester, raw materials can be used both after heat treatment and without it. Before making the Hutsman cheese, heads of hard cheese are raised from the chamber only from pasteurized milk. The rest of the ingredients that are included in the recipe are gassing mesophilic and lactic acid bacteria, rennet and salt.
The assembly of a new variety is carried out manually. No additional components are used for gluing layers or flavors, and even more so for GMO products. The heads, which are to be further combined into one, are lifted to the surface from the storage and left at room temperature for 8 hours. They need to warm up in order for the texture to acquire plasticity.
Then the cheeses are cut across to get circles, which also need to warm up. To prevent a violation of sterility, the layers are laid with food parchment. Two-month double Gloucester, after lying at a temperature of 24 ° C, acquires the necessary texture.
How Huntsman cheese is made:
- Lay out a circle of young Double Gloucester, knead the edges so that they become plastic, like plasticine, place a layer of Blue Stilton on top.
- Cover the outside edge of the blue cheese by pinching it like dumplings or pies. From above, they close with another circle of Double Gloucester, put on the already obtained structure, fasten tightly.
- Achieve the correct geometric shape of a flat cylinder (or wheel).
- The process is repeated: lay out the next layer of Blue Stilton, again close up the edges, again achieve the correct shape.
- All actions can be repeated 2 more times, or you can stop at this stage. When assembled, the Huntsman resembles a whole head, and when cut, multi-colored layers are visible.
Some craftsmen, in order to achieve the absolute identity of a cheese cake with a whole fermented milk product, apply light brown wax or latex to the surface to imitate the crust. True, the variety is popular without this addition.
The storage temperature of Huntsman cheese is 10-12 ° C, humidity is 90%. These conditions are suitable for both varieties. Even if the product is immediately ready for sale, the cheese cylinder needs to be cooled so that the density of the double Gloucester increases and it takes on a semi-solid consistency.
The composition and calorie content of Huntsman cheese
Fat content of the variety on dry matter - 52%. Since there is no exact recipe for how many layers make up the head and how thick each of them is, the energy value can only be calculated approximately.
The calorie content of Huntsman cheese, if there are layers of Blue Stilton 2-3, and Double Gloucester 3-4, about 321-377 kcal per 100 g, of which:
- Protein - 25 g;
- Fat - 32 g;
- Carbohydrates - up to 0.2 g.
The content of vitamins and minerals is also roughly estimated. Both varieties are dominated by: tocopherol, retinol, representatives of group B - choline, pyridoxine, pantothenic and folic acid, niacin, thiamine, riboflavin and biotin.
Huntsman cheese contains a large amount of calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium and potassium. Sulfur, selenium, zinc can be noted, and in double Gloucester there is also iodine.
Fats per 100 g:
- Saturated fatty acids - 21, 12 g;
- Cholesterol - 105 g.
A high-calorie product provides quick satiety. Having eaten a 100 g piece of Huntsman cheese, you can replenish the body's energy reserve for 8 hours, restore the daily supply of calcium by 23%, potassium by 17%, magnesium by 10%, iron by 2%, and ascorbic acid by 15%. However, it is not recommended to consume this amount at a time. The recommended portion of varieties with mold is no more than 30 g per day.
Benefits of Huntsman cheese
The prefabricated variety is a storehouse of useful substances necessary for the normal functioning of the human body. The chemical composition of the product is dominated by calcium and phosphorus. This balanced complex has a beneficial effect on the strength of bones and teeth, prevents the development of osteoporosis and caries, and the destruction of joints.
Thanks to the balanced combination of varieties, the benefits of Huntsman cheese are higher than either separately:
- Due to the presence of ascorbic acid, a substance uncharacteristic for this type of fermented milk products, the body's defenses increase.
- Due to the content of choline, vitamin B4, which prevails in the B-complex, it stimulates the dissolution of harmful cholesterol.
- Since the product contains a high amount of iron, the blood counts also improve - the number of red blood cells increases.
- Amino acids and saturated fats allow you to recover from exhausting physical activity or after severe illness, especially those that negatively affect the condition of the musculoskeletal system.
- Sodium prevents moisture loss.
- Vitamin A in the composition stops degenerative changes in the optic nerve.
- The group of B vitamins in the complex normalizes the state of the nervous system, improves impulse conduction, and accelerates organic reactions. It is useful to introduce the product into the diet for persons whose professional activities require increased concentration.
Stilton contains a culture of penicillin, a substance with antimicrobial activity and anti-inflammatory effect. Thanks to the noble mold, favorable conditions are created for the development of beneficial flora, which is located in the small intestine. The digestion of food is accelerated and the absorption and assimilation of nutrients is improved, the activity of pathogenic bacteria and fungi is suppressed. Putrid and fermentative processes in the digestive tract are stopped, and bad breath is eliminated.
Penicilium Roqueforti stimulates the production of melanin, which protects the surface of the epithelium from the aggressive effects of ultraviolet radiation from the sun and artificial sources. This substance stops age-related changes, increases collagen synthesis, and increases turgor.
Read more about the health benefits of Doruvael cheese
Contraindications and harm of Huntsman cheese
This variety has increased salinity - 1, 7-1, 8 g per 100 g of product. Excess salt causes swelling, increased pressure, promotes the formation and accumulation of calculi in the kidneys and gallbladder, the deposition of salts in the joints and a decrease in their mobility. It is advisable to limit use for hypertension, arthritis and gout, impaired renal function and gallbladder.
Huntsman cheese is harmful for people with allergies to cow's milk protein and fungal culture. You should not introduce the new taste to children under 16 years old, pregnant women, lactating women and patients with reduced immunity. One of the negative effects of mold on the intestines is the development of dysbiosis due to the suppression of the vital activity of beneficial bacteria. Oppression can cause not only intolerance, but also hypersensitivity.
Relative indications for use are chronic processes - pancreatitis, peptic ulcer, bronchial asthma and dermatitis in the acute stage. Overeating should be avoided if necessary to control your weight and obesity.
Read more about the dangers of blue pesto cheese
Huntsman Cheese Recipes
This delicacy can decorate any cheese plate. This variety can be safely called a champion in taste. It goes well with pickled and pickled cucumbers, capers, all kinds of onions, bread - especially rye. It may be surprising, but the lucky ones who managed to get it not only eat it by itself, but make sandwiches and hamburgers on its basis.
Huntsman Cheese Recipes:
- Closed sandwich or burger … Grind 170-200 g of the neck-scapular part of middle-aged beef - the British prefer red meat. Salted, form a cutlet the size of a standard hamburger bun and 2 cm thick. Fry on a grill or pan, greased with a little sunflower oil. After the cutlet is ready, thick slices of Huntsman are also laid out here, keeping for 30 seconds on each side. The bun is also browned, but in a toaster. A piece of cheese is spread on the lower half, a cutlet on top and again covered with bread.
- Gourmet snack … A salad is made from a handful of regular chips, a few slices of beef jerky, slices of half an apple, 2 stalks of celery, a tomato, and 2 heads of pickled onions. Freshly baked bread is dried in a toaster so that a golden crust appears on top, and a delicate crumb remains inside. Place 2 pieces of double cheese in the middle of the salad bowl.
- Hot sandwiches … The grill is heated as hot as possible and thick slices of bread are fried on one side. Then they turn it over, spread a piece of Huntsman on each and, as soon as it starts to bubble, 2 onion rings and 1 slice of green apple on top. Toast is served hot.
- Lazy pizza … The loaf is sliced lengthwise to obtain a larger base. Ketchup or mayonnaise is mixed in a 3: 2 ratio. Cut the onion into rings, pour hot boiled water and add wine or balsamic vinegar, or lemon juice. Marinate for at least 15 minutes. At this time, the Huntsman is carefully cut into small pieces and the fleshy tomatoes are cut into slices so that they do not flow out too much. Prepare bell peppers by cutting into strips. Preheat the oven to 180-190 ° C. Smear pieces of bread with a mixture of ketchup and mayonnaise on one side and place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. First lay the onion on top, having previously squeezed it, then the tomatoes and peppers. You can add bacon or ham to the pizza topping, but don't overdo it. The last layer is double cheese. Bake until bubbles appear on top. You can complement the dish with a mixture of herbs - parsley and dill.
See also Green Pesto recipes.
Interesting facts about Huntsman cheese
The name literally translates as "son of a hunter" (gamekeeper). What explains this name is not clear. One of the assumptions: the variety came to the taste of people who are involved in the national fashionable sport. This is how hunting is treated in England. This is one of Prince Charles' favorite varieties.
The production of such an original product is explained by the desire to protect the Stilton, prepared for serving in the assortment, from drying out. At home, they tried to preserve it in port or oil, wrap it in parchment or foil. But then they accidentally found out that if you store several varieties in one package, blue cheese is stored longer.
The first to collect Huntsman was started by workers of a dairy factory, which is located in the small town of Great Britain, Long Clawson, in 1983. Later, other manufacturers from England, the USA and even Japan began to produce the same cheese. But the name of the product was already Stilchester, because the discoverers protected the trademark and patent officially.
No more than 30-80 heads are made per year, but this does not mean that double cheese cannot be purchased. It can be ordered by phone or online and is shipped worldwide.
You can try to cook the Huntsman yourself, at home. Let not a whole head, but a small piece. Only Gloucester will have to be specially warmed up in a water bath so that it becomes plastic. And such a slice will have to be eaten immediately - it is unsuitable for long-term storage.
Watch the video about Huntsman cheese:
