Port Stilton Gravy Recipes

Steps:

• For the beef, mix the garlic, thyme and olive oil with some black pepper. Rub over the beef and leave for at least 1 hr, the longer the better. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6, season the beef with salt and place in a roasting tin. Roast in the oven for 30 mins, then turn the heat down to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and cook for 10-15 mins per 450g depending on how you like your meat - 10 mins per 450g will give you rare meat and 15 mins will give you meat that is cooked through.
• When the beef is cooked, take it out of the roasting tin and allow it to rest somewhere warm, loosely wrapped in foil, for 30 mins. Pour off and reserve any resting juices.
• To make the gravy, place the roasting tin on a high heat with the garlic, bay and thyme. Splash in the Port, scrape with a wooden spoon to loosen any debris from the tin and bubble until almost completely reduced. Pour in the red wine and reduce by three-quarters before adding the stock. Bring to the boil and season to taste. Pour reserved resting juices back into the tin. Finally, pour the gravy through a sieve into a warm jug. Carve the meat and serve with the gravy.

Steps:

• To make the potted Stilton, simply mash the Stilton in a bowl, add the softened butter, the mace and port and continue to stir together well.
• (Traditional potted cheese recipes tend to use unclarified butter, presumably because cheese, especially when it is aided by alcohol, needs less protection from spoilage than meat.).
• Pack into ramekins or an attractive ceramic pot/s. Melt a little butter and pour over the top of the cheese to form a thin seal.
• Scatter the walnuts over the top & press them in slightly, then leave it to set.
• Refrigerate for up to a week. Serve after dinner with crackers or hot, toasted rye bread, with a ripe pear alongside. Alternatively, try as a sandwich filling on wholemeal bread, augmented by plenty of crisp salad leaves to cut through the richness of this delicious potted cheese!

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220c/ gas mark 7).
• Take your beef out of the refrigerator to bring to room temperature, which could take 1 hour or possibly more.
• Put the onion slices into a roasting tin and sit the beef on top of them. Use the onion slices as props to help the rib sit up on its bones in an "L" shape. Smear the oil over the white fat of the rib, and sprinkle with the salt, thyme and cayenne pepper. Cook according to the beef's weight and your taste. I like my beef nice and underdone, so I give it 15 minutes per pound (33 minutes per kg) which means, for a joint this size, a cooking time of about 2 hours unless the beef is straight out of the refrigerator, in which case, add another 20 minutes or so. If you want medium beef, give the joint, from room temperature, 20 minutes per pound (44 minutes per kg), and if you like well-done meat, 30 minutes per pound (66 minutes per kg). As for feeding capacity, this size of joint will certainly look over a big tableful, from 8 with lots of leftovers to 14, without the definite promise of them.
• When the beef comes out of the oven, remove to a carving board and allow it to rest in a warm part of the kitchen under a tent of foil for 30 minutes before carving; or just leave, tented in its tin, for the same time. Do not start clearing up the tin, even if you have taken the beef out, however, as you will need some of the pan juices and onions for the gravy.
• In a saucepan over low heat, add 2 tablespoons of the fatty juices from the beef tin. To make a roux, whisk in the flour, and then the port. Keep heating and whisking over a fairly gentle heat, until thick and bubbling. If you want to blend the onions into the stock, do so now. Be sure to avoid adding any blackened onions. Put the onions in a blender with the beef stock and mix together. Or leave the stock just as it is, straight out of the tub. Take the saucepan off the heat, and gradually whisk in the beef stock. Whisk in the blue cheese and red currant jelly. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Pour in any juices that remain in the tin or on the cutting board. Transfer to gravy boat and serve with the beef.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Tip the turkey bits and/or chicken wings into a sturdy roasting tin with the onions, carrot, celery and garlic. Toss in the oil and spread out into a single layer. Place in the oven for 40 mins undisturbed - you want them the right side of just burnt, as this will give you lots of flavour.
• Remove the tin from the oven and mix in the honey, soy sauce and tomato purée. Toss everything together until all the bits are completely coated, then return to the oven for 10 mins until sticky and caramelised. Remove the tin from the oven again, sprinkle over the flour and dried mushrooms (if using) and return to the oven for a final 10 mins.
• If your roasting tin is flameproof, put it on a low flame, add the vinegar and sizzle for a moment. Pour in the Port and cook until you have a thick, glutinous paste mixed in with all the ingredients - it will look quite messy! Add the stock and herbs, bring to the boil and cook for 10 mins. (If your tin isn't flameproof, add the vinegar, stir to loosen all the burnt bits from the tin, then tip into a saucepan to continue.)
• Turn off the heat and use a potato masher to mash everything to extract as much flavour out of it as you can. Carefully pass the contents through a sieve over another saucepan, pushing down on the contents of the sieve. Simmer the gravy until thick and glossy, then leave to cool. Can be chilled for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Reheat the gravy and serve as it is, or add to the turkey roasting juices for even more flavour.