Roquefort Biscuits for Will Studd
Oh dear, MORE cheese talk (I’ll keep it brief this time) but as I met Will Studd, the unequivocal champion of raw milk cheese in the Southern Hemisphere, at lunch today (appropriately at Patricia Michelson’s La Fromagerie) I thought I would add a short addendum to my Fighting for Cheese post recognising raw milk campaigners worldwide.
As is a common theme in countries outside Europe, Will talks of the uphill struggle to get raw milk cheese accepted in Australia, including the court case where he challenged the law by importing 80kg of Roquefort cheese for which, on being finally told it was illegal, he arranged full and dramatic funeral rights, the cheese swathed in the French flag and loaded into the back of a hearse. He did admit that he later divvied up the spoils between (lucky!) friends taking advantage of the 10kg import allowance of raw cheese for private consumption.
It is food heroes like Will Studd who will actually bother to campaign to change the rules that stop the total homogenisation of food. An industrial cheese often bears no relation to artisan, farmhouse cheeses, particularly those made with raw milk; the very best and most traditional using milk from the cows or goats they milk themselves. And the public gets used to that one-dimensional product, often dismissing cheese on grounds of taste, or even suspecting allergy, not always a problem with raw and unadulterated farmhouse cheeses, particularly goats.
In his Cheese Slices television series, Will examines international artisan and farmhouse cheeses. It is yet to be aired in this country, but here’s hoping. In the meantime here is a simple, yet delicious crumbly Roquefort biscuit in honour of all that buried cheese.
Roquefort Biscuits
200g unsalted French butter
200g fine plain flour (or very fine spelt flour works well)
150g Roquefort cheese
1 small egg yolk
Whizz the chilled butter, sifted flour, cheese and egg yolk in a blender until it forms a dough.
Chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
Preheat the oven to 180°c
Roll out on a floured board and cut into small rounds – this is a rich biscuit.
Cook on a butter-smeared tray for about 15 minutes or until lightly golden.
Allow to cool before moving – these are very crumbly so be careful.
Serve with aperitifs or at a retro 1970s-style cheese and wine party of the sort that were so fashionable before Will Studd left London in the early 1980s.
Recipe Card
