Say Cheese

Photo © Rob Jones

That Anne-Marie Minhall and I have a common obsession. Well actually two obsessions. Maybe three.

Anyway, the one i question on this occasion is Cheeeeeeeeze!

See her earlier post about the marvels of Paxton and Whitfield in London. Purveyors of very very fine cheese indeed. Until this week I had only ever experienced it as stuff of legend from aforementioned AMM.

Until today.

Three days into the Welsh lockdown and an emergency parcel turns up from London with the bare essentials for survival - Four types of fabulous cheese (still working my way through them. The Celtic Soft is to die for), a dinky bottle of port and a little jar of magic.

Apple and Chilli Jelly

Ingredients:

500g Cooking Apples
500ml Water
500g Sugar (Or thereabouts)
Lemon Peel and Juice
Teaspoon of Chlli Flakes

Method:

Chop the apples roughly. No need to peel or core them.
Into a saucepan with the water, lemon peel and chilli flakes. Some recipes suggest putting a chopped chilli into the mix, but that way madness lies.

Boil until the apples are soft.

Strain the juices out through a piece of muslin.

Weigh the liquid, place it back into a pan with some lemon juice and the same weight in sugar, and a pinch of chilli flakes.

Boil until jam setting point - if you have a jam thermometer, that’s around 105C. Or, until the mix coats the back of a wooden spoon like a syrup.

Pop the mix into sterilised jars and seal.

Leave it for a bit.

Enjoy with Cheeeeeeeeese!

RJ