Potted Cheese
Hard cheese beaten with butter, mace and port and sealed under more butter. Eighteenth-century, requires no cooking, and outclasses every shop-bought cheese spread ever made.
Image note: Illustration, generated by AI · not a photograph of this dish
Potted Cheese, Step by Step
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Leave the cheese and butter at room temperature 1 hour before you start.
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Beat the softened butter alone until pale and light, 2 minutes.
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Add the grated cheese a handful at a time, beating until each addition disappears.
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Beat in the port, mustard, mace, cayenne and salt until completely smooth.
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Check the seasoning — it should be noticeably peppery — and pack into small pots, pressing out air pockets.
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Level the surfaces and pour the clarified butter over to seal each pot.
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Refrigerate 2 hours to firm, then bring back to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.
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Small Things That Help
- Everything at room temperature. Cold butter gives a grainy paste.
- Grate finely, never cube.
- Serve it at room temperature, not fridge cold.
What to Serve with Potted Cheese
- Oatcakes
- Celery
- A glass of the port
Leftovers and Storage
Refrigerated under the butter seal for 3 weeks. Once broken, 5 days.
Questions About Potted Cheese
How long does Potted Cheese take to make?
15 minutes of preparation and of cooking, plus 3 hours of bringing the ingredients to room temperature and firming the pots, so allow 3 hours 15 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 6.
Potted Cheese Nutrition Facts
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. The calories include 1 g of alcohol a serving, which is not part of the protein, carbohydrate or fat. How the figures are worked out.
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published ; last changed .