Here is a fantastic, quick recipe from a friend and fellow blogger who actually lives over in Lanzarote. Mike has a passion for food and has been kind enough to send us this great suggestion for some delicious cheese!….Thanks Mike
This is a guest post from Mike Cliffe-Jones
Manchego Cheese is a staple of most tapas offerings, but there’s a secret to how it should be served, that will really bring the flavour out!
You’ll find Manchego in most good delicatessens. It’s a hard, dry cheese and comes from the La Mancha region. It’s made from whole sheep’s milk, and is aged for between three and six months in caves. It has a much stronger flavour than most sheep’s milk cheeses, and is tangy and slightly salty.
As with all Spanish cheeses it can be bought Fresco (fresh) but is very bland at that stage, Curado (3 to 6 months) which is perfect, or Viejo (1 year) which I find too dry.
Here’s how to serve it:
Slice the cheese into triangles about 3MM thick, and place them on a plate.
Dredge the slices in best quality olive oil and leave to soak in the oil while you do the rest
Finely chop half an onion, a clove of garlic, a deseeded chilli (optional) and two tomatoes. You should skin the tomatoes, but I never bother! Mix those ingredients thoroughly, with a squeeze of lemon juice and you’ve produced an instant salsa!
Now get a clean plate and pile the salsa in the middle, arranging the cheese slices over it. Slew some more oil over the top, a little crunchy sea salt, and some finely chopped coriander. Finally add a few olives.
Serve with a glass of chilled dry white and enjoy!
Mike Cliffe-Jones is a writer based in The Canary Islands. You can find him at www.mikecliffejones.com He’s the author of the books Living in Lanzarote and Beyond Blogging.