A few months ago you may have seen the below post on Jamie’s Instagram. Your first instinct was probably “Gee whizz that’s a big truckle of cheese”.
Well, that’s not actually the half of it; actually it’s a big truckle of truffle cheese, and it’s quite a mouthful in every sense.
Eighteen months ago, Jamie was given 1kg of white truffles by a friend in Italy. Those of you who know how much 1kg of white truffles costs will no doubt be wondering why. Well, that’s because Jamie, thanks to his truffle tagliatelle and truffle risottos in Jamie’s Italian, is the UK’s biggest importer of truffle (title pending).
Left with more truffles than he knew what to do with, Jamie turned to his long-time cheese hero Tom Calver of Westcombe Dairy and suggested creating a truffled Cheddar.
Tom’s response was a resounding no, because people only really flavour cheese when it goes wrong, but Jamie must have threatened him with a muslin cloth or something because, a year later, here we are.
It’s a phenomenal cheese – all the deep umami of the truffle with the tanginess of Westcombe’s gorgeous standard Cheddar.
But it wasn’t enough for Jamie just to pop it on some crackers with a chutney (although I assure you it’s incredible when you do); he went to his head chef at Fifteen and asked him to prepare a dinner of no fewer than seven courses.
Photograph by Merlin Jobst
So on 24 April 2014, the great and good of Jamie HQ and some lucky members of the public sat down for one of the cheesiest meals they might ever have attempted.
The absolute highlight for me has to be the rarebit (cheese on toast to most people!) topped with grilled veal. The incredible depth of flavour from the hung meat and truffle Cheddar, matched with the trashy gooeyness was just to die for.
Rarebit may be a dish invented in the Welsh Valleys, but it’s been perfected by the West Country… via Italy and London.
Photograph by Matthew Hickman
For those of a classier disposition, a dish of roasted onion, smoked almonds and nettles with Cheddar was also a masterclass in restrained, balanced flavours, especially considering the strength of the ingredients!
Photograph by Matthew Hickman
Jamie, Tom and Fifteen head chef Jon Rotheram were there to enjoy the food and greet the guests, making for a really special night for all involved. If it didn’t cost £2,000 a truckle, we’d be demanding Tom goes into full production of the cheese. Instead we’ll settle for the memories, and the knowledge that no rarebit will ever quite taste as sweet again.
Photograph by Merlin Jobst
