SERVES 4

1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 sticks of celery, finely chopped
55 g | 2 oz butter
45 g | 1 ½ oz plain flour
5 tablespoons dry white wine
1 litre | 1 ¾ pints white stock
290 ml | ½ pint milk, warmed
225 g | 8 oz Stilton cheese, grated or crumbled
2 tablespoons single cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Soften the onion and celery in the butter over low heat, covered with piece of damp greaseproof paper and a lid. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute.
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the wine. Return to the heat and bring to the boil to reduce the wine by half. Stir in the stock, bring to the boil, then simmer for 25 minutes.
3. Taste. Add the milk and simmer for 2 minutes. Do not boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the Stilton. Liquidize in a food processor or blender and push through a sieve.
4. Add the cream and salt and pepper. Reheat the soup, taking care not to let it boil, or it will curdle and become stringy.

NOTES: White port, well chilled, is delicious with this soup.

The soup can be served chilled. In this event streak the cream into the soup just before serving, giving it an attractive marbled appearance.

Wine: LIGHT RED

________________________________________

Excerpt from Leiths Cookery Bible

[Leith, P., and Waldegrave, C., (2003), Leiths Cookery Bible, 3rd edition, Bloomburys, UK]