What is cancoillotte?
A cow's-milk cheese with a very special recipe, since it's made from metton, a skimmed cow's-milk curd which is matured and lightly dried, and to which melted butter, water and milk are added. You can also add white wine, or better, Jura yellow wine, or even echalottes or garlic. The result, in any case, is a semi-liquid cheese, which coats whatever you want to present it with.
Cancoillotte with country bread; nothing better! Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com: By Arnaud 25 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61951473
France produces 6000 tonnes of cancoillotte a year, most of which is consumed in Franche-Comté, proof that the locals love this cheese. You can find producers here.
How do you eat cancoillotte?
As simply as possible. It's top in its heated pot, and in which we'll dip pan-fried potatoes or a piece of smoked sausage (Morteau sausage or Montbélliard sausage if we're sticking with Franc-comtois flavors). It can also be used for a fondue, by incorporating lardons and heating it up. It is also ideal for enhancing a sauce and accompanying poultry escalope, for example.
Dishes with concoillotte;
1. Potato gratin with cancoillotte
- Ingredients: Potatoes, plain or garlic cancoillotte, crème fraîche, salt, pepper.
- Preparation: Arrange pre-cooked potato slices in a gratin dish, top with cancoillotte and cream, then bake for 20 minutes at 180°C. Result: a golden crust and a melting heart!
2. Tarte à la cancoillotte et lardons
- Ingredients: Shortcrust pastry, cancoillotte, lardons, onions, eggs, cream.
- Preparation: Brown lardons and onions. Mix cancoillotte with eggs and cream. Top the shortcrust pastry with the bacon and onions, then pour in the mixture. Bake at 200°C for 25 minutes. Perfect for a quick dinner.
And ideas for cancoillotte
You can replace many cheeses with cancoillotte. It's perfect for a fondue, spread on bread. It can also be added to a croque-monsieur or even a burger. You can also drizzle it over a pasta dish.
