British · Appetizers

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.

15 min prep and cooking plus 3 hr bringing the ingredients to room temperature and firming the pots 3 hr 15 min start to finish Serves 6 servings Easy
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Potted Cheese, Step by Step

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  1. Leave the cheese and butter at room temperature 1 hour before you start.

  2. Beat the softened butter alone until pale and light, 2 minutes.

  3. Add the grated cheese a handful at a time, beating until each addition disappears.

  4. Beat in the port, mustard, mace, cayenne and salt until completely smooth.

  5. Check the seasoning — it should be noticeably peppery — and pack into small pots, pressing out air pockets.

  6. Level the surfaces and pour the clarified butter over to seal each pot.

  7. Refrigerate 2 hours to firm, then bring back to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

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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.

534Calories
15gProtein
2gCarbs
51gFat
0gFibre
0gSugar
490mgSodium

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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 .