Dazz Switalla Flavour Secrets No.1 The Strand Chef www.no1thestrand.co.nz

There are favourite flavours that go together, like bacon and eggs, chicken and corn, mushrooms and blue cheese.

This week we are going to cover blue cheese, often referred to by children as ‘stinky cheese'. The distinctive smell of blue cheese comes from the penicillium added to the curds or veined through the cheese before maturation.

For many the smell is off putting – after all it smells the same as stinky footwear – and so they never try it. It was the same for me for many years, until I tried a pizza with shaved ham, gorgonzola and mushrooms: a marriage of flavours that rocked my world.

Since that time I have incorporated mushrooms, blue cheese and ham in several different creations and yet none have captured the original taste from that pizza. The reason maybe is that I didn't have as much passion, or love of creation, as the person who created the x-factor when that pizza was made. Yes, there is such a thing. Have you ever had a bad coffee when the barista is having a bad day? Food ingredients put together following a recipe can taste better when there is the x-factor involved. Many of the homemade relishes, spreads, jams and sauces available at the Tauranga Farmers' Market are put together with passion and love and it shines through in the product.

This week's recipe uses Lavish Foods' Blue Cheese Addiction as a flavour base for crispy pancakes with ham, mushroom and blue cheese.

Crispy Pancake of Blue Cheese, Mushroom, Ham

Makes six pancakes

Ingredients

Pancake mix

3 eggs

1cup milk

100g plain flour

Filling

1 tub Lavish Foods' Blue Cheese Addiction

200g sliced mushrooms

100ml cream

150g shaved ham

Knob of butter

Breadcrumbs

Extra milk

1 egg, beaten

Method

Make the pancakes by whisking eggs and milk together then pouring into the flour which you have formed a well in the centre of. Add extra milk if required to make a thin batter. Cook the pancakes and allow to cool. While they are cooling, sauté the mushrooms in a knob of butter. Cook well then add cream and reduce. When mushrooms are ready, add the blue cheese addiction. Lay some shaved ham on each pancake, then spoon a pile of mushroom and blue cheese mix. Roll up into a parcel and rest in the fridge until set, for about an hour.

Remove pancake parcels from the fridge. Dust with flour then egg wash with beaten egg and a little milk. Dip into breadcrumbs to coat and return to fridge to set.

To serve, cook pancake on both sides then place in a moderate oven for 15-20 minutes. Serve with salad greens to make a filling main course dish.