Words by Hannah Tapping.
Trewithen Dairy is owned and run by the Clarke family, who have owned Greymare Farm in the Glynn Valley since 1976 and started crafting dairy products there in March 1994.
Creamy Brussels Sprout Gratin with Cornish Gouda
The humble sprout comes alive when swathed in a rich and velvety sauce of Cornish clotted cream, Cornish gouda and a generous twang of mustard. This wooly blanket of a dish is the perfect winter antidote – delicious served simply with crusty bread or as a festive side dish for the main event.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
20g Trewithen Dairy Salted Butter
600g Brussels sprouts, halved and outer leaves discarded if necessary
1 onion, sliced
3 anchovy fillets, drained and chopped (optional)
120g Trewithen Dairy Cornish Clotted Cream
100g Cornish gouda, grated (can be substituted with gruyere, parmesan or a good cheddar)
300g chicken stock (or veg stock)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
Generous grating of fresh nutmeg or ½ tsp dried nutmeg
Breadcrumbs:
2 slices of stale bread
20g Cornish gouda
6-8 sage leaves
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Blanch the halved Brussels sprouts in salted boiling water for two minutes, then remove from the heat and drain immediately in a colander. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, or shallow oven-proof dish over a medium heat. Sauté the onions gently for five minutes. Stir through the anchovies if using and cook through for another couple of minutes before tipping in the blanched and drained Brussels sprouts. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, while stirring. Reduce the heat, add the clotted cream, cheese, vinegar, mustard and nutmeg. Season generously to taste.
Tip the mixture into a shallow oven-proof dish, cover with foil (a used butter wrapper works well) and bake for 25 minutes.
In the meantime, put the bread, cheese and sage leaves into a food processor and pulse until you have breadcrumbs.
Remove the foil, tip the breadcrumb mixture over the top and return to the oven for a further 15-20 minutes or until bubbling and golden and crispy on top.
Red Onion Tarte Tatin with Blue Cheese and Cornish Clotted Cream
Layers of flaky pastry topped with buttery, caramelised onions make the perfect vegetarian Christmas dinner or a great Boxing Day buffet centrepiece. Crowned with rich Cornish blue cheese and Cornish Clotted Cream for a luxuriously festive finish.
Serves 4 - 6
Ingredients:
4 tennis-ball sized red onions, peeled and halved
Olive oil
150ml chicken stock
Bunch of thyme
100g Caster sugar
50g Trewithen Dairy Salted Butter, chilled cubes
15ml balsamic vinegar
1 sheet of ready-made puff pastry
50g blue cheese
50g Trewithen Dairy Cornish Clotted Cream
Method
Preheat oven to 170°C.
Slice the peeled onions in half lengthways from root to stem. Drizzle olive oil in a cast iron pan, add the thyme, then place the onions neatly cut-side down over the top. Pour over the chicken stock, then place the pan in the center of the pre-heated oven for 25 minutes. If there’s any chicken stock remaining in the pan once the onions are cooked, carefully tip it away while keeping the onions intact. Set aside.
While the onions are softening, make the caramel. Place the sugar in a small saucepan along with the tiniest dash of water. Allow the sugar to caramelise without stirring it, before removing from the heat and whisking in cold cubes of butter. Add the balsamic vinegar and season to taste – you may wish to add extra vinegar. Set aside.
Increase the oven temperature to 200°C.
Drizzle three tablespoons of the balsamic caramel around the onions and carefully arrange the onions so they fit snuggly and neatly in the pan. Cut out the puff pastry so it’s slightly larger than your cast iron pan. Moving quickly if the onions are still warm, push the pastry around the onions and pierce a hole in the middle to let out steam.
Return the tart to the oven for approximately 25 minutes or until cooked through and golden. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before turning out. Carefully run a knife around the pan, place your presentation plate on top of the pan and gently flip the plate upside down. You may need to ease the tarte away with a knife.
Combine the blue cheese and clotted cream together in a small bowl and dollop on top of the cooled tarte. Garnish with watercress, rocket or sprigs of thyme to serve.
Cornish Mead Christmas Jellies with Cornish Clotted Cream
Festive fruit, honeyed mead and warming spices combine in these Christmas jellies. This easy, no-bake dessert is perfect for making in advance and serving at parties – complete with a spoonful of unctuous Cornish Clotted Cream and a twist of orange.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
425ml traditional mead
425ml cranberry juice
150g cranberries – frozen works well
2 large oranges
1 cinnamon stick
30ml honey
6 leaves of gelatin/18g powdered gelatin
225g Trewithen Dairy Cornish Clotted Cream
Method
Place a freezer-proof glass jug in the freezer and clear a shelf in your fridge for the jellies to set.
In a saucepan, combine the cranberries, the zest of one orange, two tablespoons of orange juice, honey and the cinnamon stick. Simmer over a medium heat for ten minutes while stirring occasionally before discarding the cinnamon stick. Pour into six serving glasses and set aside.
Gently warm the cranberry juice in a small saucepan and stir through the gelatin until completely dissolved. Pour into the frozen glass jug, before adding the mead. Stir gently until combined.
Pour the mixture into each glass, allowing space at the top. Chill until the jelly sets.
Cut twists of orange peel. To serve, top each glass with a large spoonful of Cornish Clotted Cream and garnish with a twist of orange peel.