BRUSSELS TOPS, BLUE CHEESE

The goodness of greens. The savour of cheese.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Bring the milk to the boil, then remove from the heat. Crumble the Stilton into the milk, cover with a lid and leave to infuse. Peel the onions, then roughly chop them.

Step 2

Melt the butter in a large, deep pan and add the chopped onion. Fry gently over a moderate heat for about ten minutes, until the onion is glossy and sweet smelling, stirring regularly. Pull the sprout leaves from the main stem, setting aside any whole tiny sprouts you may find. Remove the stems from the leaves and chop them, then stir into the onions.

Step 3

Place the leaves on top of one another, roll them up, then slice into thin shreds and stir into the onion. Continue cooking for five minutes until the leaves are bright green and wilted. Pour in the milk and cheese mixture and bring almost to the boil. Ladle into a blender, taking care not to overfill (you will need to do this in two batches) and process to a thick but far from totally smooth soup. Check the flavour, adding black pepper if necessary. The soup is unlikely to need salt.

Step 4

To finish, cut the reserved sprouts in half and fry them for a minute or so in the butter until they are bright and crunchy. Toss them with the crumbled Stilton and divide between the bowls.