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Now that the cooler weather has set in and December is just around the corner, it seems like the perfect time to talk about cheese recipes.
There are so many cheesy dishes that seem more delicious when the fire is lit and the wind is howling outside. Let’s get down to it. It's time to chat about melted cheese.
Fondue
Fondue is a Swiss dish typically made with two or more Swiss mountain cheeses, melted in warm wine and served with cubed bread, sausages, or dried meats, along with pickles.
You can imagine that there are multiple versions of this even in Switzerland.
A classic Swiss blend is made with equal parts Emmenthal and le Gruyère, or you can add Appenzeller to that to make it a little sharper. In some areas, Le Gruyère and Vacherin Fribourg are blended at a 50/50 ratio, resulting in a creamier, earthier, and definitely stronger-smelling cheese!
There are Canadian cheeses you could use if you want to support local cheese makers. A blend of Alfred le Fermier (QC), Five Brothers (ON), Beer Brushed Raclette (QC) and Vacherin Fri-Charco (QC) is a tasty combo that will melt well and deliver all the flavour you’re looking for in a fondue melting pot.
Raclette
Raclette is a traditional Swiss and French dish. Racler means “to scrape” and is the literal description of scraping the melted cheese off the wheel after heating it over a wood fire. Nowadays, it is a little easier than that, and no fireplace is needed, although that sounds pretty fun.
Some grills will melt your slices of raclette until it is fully melted, and you can pour them onto your small, boiled potatoes.
Raclette is also the name of the cheese used for raclette, the dish. Raclette is typically cow's milk, semi firm and washed rind. When you melt your cheese, the rind takes on a very nice, crunchy texture against the melting interior. Raclette melts in a specific way and stays liquid longer than most cheeses, which is why you can’t really use any cheese for this preparation; however, there are many types of raclette to choose from.
There are classic Swiss wheels as well as ones studded with truffles. From France, we get the classic Savoie raclette that is a little earthier, as well as a smoked version. In Canada, we make a great selection. Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser in Quebec makes a plain, a beer-brushed, and a pepper raclette, and from Fromagerie la Station, a prize-winning pink peppercorn raclette.
Creekside Creamery in BC makes a beautiful array, all with milk from their organic herd. They have a traditional one called Golden Meadows, one lined with ash like a Morbier, a cracker-pepper version, and a tasty garlic-flavoured wheel.
There are so many options for cheese, and just as many for the meal. You can keep it simple, Swiss-style, with the cheese over potatoes, a selection of cornichons and pickled onions, and some charcuterie of your choice.
You can use the top of the grill to cook meat, vegetables or seafood to accompany your cheesy potatoes. Compilated or simple, there really is no wrong answer.
Tartiflette
This is not really a very old dish, as it was created in the 50’s in the Savoie, France. The basic premise is a hot skillet of cooked potatoes, white wine, and crème fraiche flavoured with some bacon lardons and onions. This is cooked together until tender, then topped with a wheel of Reblochon that has been sliced through the center. Then the whole pan is popped into the oven until it is a melty, bubbly pan of goodness.
The proper cheese for this dish, Reblochon, is a soft, washed-rind cheese from the Savoie. It is always a little unreliable in Canada, but we do usually get some. This year, it seems like none will be coming, so we are having to highlight some other options that will have a familiar flavour, profile and texture.
From France, I like le Chablochon. It has the right taste and texture, and it is at a better price too! Win, win.
From Quebec, I really like Fou du Roy, which is a little sturdier but melts beautifully and offers wonderful earthy notes. Champfleury is also a good one, reasonably priced, and quite available across Canada. If none of these cheeses are available to you, it is another good application for raclette. Although not quite as soft as Reblochon, it will melt well, and at this time of year, it is pretty accessible across Canada. If you don’t have access to a specialty store, many larger grocery stores may have prepackaged slices that work well for this dish.
Baked Vacherin Mont d’Or
Well, sadly, due to the cattle disease in Europe at this time, there are no Mont d’Or coming to Canada this year. It is very frustrating for people who love it, but it isn’t the first time this has happened in the past 20 years. Every so often, there is a scare of some sort, and Mont d’Or, with its slightly mouldy-looking bark and somewhat dark, spotty-looking rind, seems to draw the attention of the CFIA, and it is banned for a time. I can remember at least two other years, possibly three, in the past few decades where the same thing happened, so luckily, we have some options for this as well.
Will any of them be exactly the same as the real AOP Mont d’Or? No! Will they still be delicious? Yes, definitely.
There is a less traditional version made in France, called Vacherin de Savoie, which is a great sub, as well as Chaumes le Crémier, which has a similar texture, although it lacks the spruce bark taste that is part of Mont d’Or’s charm.
In Quebec, there are two cheeses made that fit the bill: Angelique au Marc and l’Adoray. Both have the beautiful bark edging, and both have a very good grassy, earthy flavour.
This year, we will also be getting Nuiton d’Or, which seems like it may be a flavour somewhere in between Mont d’Or and Epoisses, which sounds pretty tasty to me.
Hopefully, where you are, you can find something that can be baked whole in the oven and scooped up with some crusty bread.
Enjoy the winter weather that’s starting, and have some melted cheese to keep you warm.
GOW Suggested Wine Pairings:
