UK's favourite cheese and recipe for cheesy potato gratin

To celebrate National Cheese Day on June 4, researchers from recipe box company Gousto have revealed the most popular cheeses people have been choosing during lockdown.
Image by Daniel Albany from PixabayImage by Daniel Albany from Pixabay
Image by Daniel Albany from Pixabay

According to Google Trends, searches for Cheese and Wine Night have tripled (+203 per cent) during lockdown, but what cheeses have we been including in our virtual cheese and wine nights on Zoom?

The nation's favourite cheese:

Red Leicester - +164 per cent more searches during lockdown

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Gratin

Goats Cheese +158 per cent

Cheddar +97 per cent

Camembert +80 per cent

Brie +72 per cent

Blue Cheese +30 per cent

Mozzarella +19 per cent

Parmesan +17 per cent

Stilton -28 per cent

Wensleydale -33 per cent

It seems that our taste in cheeses has changed as a 2017 study by Branston Pickle crowned Cheddar as the UK’s favourite.

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For something cheesy for your dinner Gousto has shared this recipe for cheesy bacon and potato gratin inspired by the tartiflette from the French Alps.

Ingredients:

1 Brown Onion

1 Tomato

1 Garlic Clove

40g Cheddar Cheese

50g Rocket

90g British Dry Cured Smoked Streaky Bacon

15ml Balsamic Vinegar

15ml Chinese Rice Wine

1 White Potato

1 Pot Of Double Cream (100ml)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 180°C (fan)/ 395°F/ Gas 6

Slice the potatoes (skins on) into discs

Add the potato discs to a baking tray with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and sprinkle them with cold water (this will help the potatoes cook through!)

Put the tray in the oven for 15-20 min or until softened

While the potatoes are cooking, peel and finely dice the brown onion

Peel and finely chop (or grate) the garlic

Chop the smoked streaky bacon roughly

Heat a large, dry, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) over a medium-high heat

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Once hot, add the chopped bacon and diced onion and cook for 4-5 min, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp

Once crisp, add the chopped garlic and cook for 1-2 min further or until fragrant

Meanwhile, grate the cheddar cheese

Once fragrant, add the Chinese rice wine to the pan and cook for 30 secs

Add 1 tsp flour and give it all a good mix up

Gradually add 150ml milk, a little at a time, and stir everything together until the sauce begins to thicken slightly

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Stir through the double cream and most of the grated cheddar cheese (save some for later!) and give it all a good mix up until the cheese has melted

Season with a generous grind of black pepper – this is your cheesy bacon sauce

Add half the potato discs to an oven-proof dish in a single layer

Pour over half the cheesy bacon sauce

Repeat this process until you have a final layer of sauce and top with any leftover potato discs

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Sprinkle over the reserved cheese and put the dish in the oven for 15-20 min or until bubbling and golden - this is your cheesy bacon & potato gratin

While the gratin is in the oven, finely dice the tomato

Add the diced tomato to a bowl with the rocket, balsamic vinegar, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper

Give everything a good mix up – this is your rocket salad

Serve the cheesy bacon & potato gratin with the rocket salad to the side

Season with a generous grind of black pepper. Enjoy.

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