Salemville Smokehaus Blue

Salemville Smokehaus Blue Cheese Board with Honey and Walnut Crackers

Salemville Smokehaus Blue is an American cave-aged, smoke-cured blue cheese from Wisconsin, traditionally paired with sweet and nutty accompaniments to balance its bold, peppery bite.

Prep

15 min

Total

15 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •340 g (12 oz) Salemville Smokehaus Blue cheese, or another cold-smoked American blue such as Roxbury or Point Reyes; bring to room temperature 30 minutes before serving
• •60 g (½ cup) raw walnuts, lightly toasted, plus extra for garnish
• •120 ml (½ cup) wildflower honey, or orange blossom honey
• •1 pinch flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
• •6 stalk (6 stalks) celery, cut into 8 cm sticks; the cool crunch is the classic American pairing
• •1 piece crusty sourdough or country loaf, sliced and lightly toasted
• •2 whole crisp apples or ripe pears, cored and sliced just before serving
• •30 g (1 oz) unsalted butter, softened, for spreading on toast

Steps

1. 1 About 30 minutes before serving, unwrap the Salemville Smokehaus Blue and leave it on a wooden board or slate at cool room temperature so the smoke aromas open up and the paste softens for proper slicing and crumbling.
2. 2 Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, shaking often, until fragrant and just darkened. Cool, then chop roughly.
3. 3 Prepare the celery by cutting each stalk in half crosswise, then into 8 cm (3 inch) batons; trim any fibrous strings.
4. 4 Slice the apple or pear just before plating and squeeze a little lemon juice over the slices to keep them from browning.
5. 5 Slice the sourdough 1 cm thick, butter lightly, and toast in a dry pan or under the broiler until golden on the edges.
6. 6 On a large board, arrange the cheese whole or broken into wedges, scatter the toasted walnuts around it, drizzle the honey in a thin stream over and beside the cheese, and finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
7. 7 Serve with the celery sticks, toasted bread, and fruit on the side. Encourage diners to combine a bite of the smoked blue with honey, a walnut, a sliver of pear, and celery or toast on the fork.