Vacherin Mont D'Or

The Jura Mountains is a small mountain range that connects with France, Switzerland and Germany.  "Jura" means forest mountains and aptly describes the geography of the area - rich in lush grass meadows, high in the mountains.  In France, this is the province of Franche-Comté, renowned for it's cheeses, Comté being one of them.  On the other side of the mountains is the French-speaking area of Switzerland.  The traditions of both areas are quite similar and this is evidenced by the cheese above, in France it is called "Vacherin du Haut-Doubs" and in Switzerland "Vacherin Mont D'Or" (Do you hear the song "I say tomato, you say tomato" playing??).  No matter what you call it, this is a spectacular cheese only available at Christmas time after the cattle have returned to the barns from their summer meadows and are on hay.

This is another of the AOC protected cheeses which guarantees that the cheese has been made with the same time-honoured process that has always been followed and that the cheese making and processing is of the highest standards.

Vacherin Mont D'Or comes in a lovely pine box which is removed to expose the cheese which has a birch strip, called a sangle, encircling it.  The cheese is allowed to come to room temperature after which the rind (which is inedible) is removed.  Under the rather gnarly-looking rind is a creamy, rich, gooey, decadent cheese.  In Switzerland, the cheese is enjoyed along with fingerling potatoes.  In France they sometimes make a small hole in the rind and pour some champagne or white wine into the cheese.  And perhaps this was the original "baked brie" as the cheese is often warmed in the oven.  Here is a wonderful recipe:

• Leaving the cheese in the pine box, make a sleeve around the box of aluminium foil
• If you are serving the Vacherin Mont D'Or as an appetizer, you may want to prick the surface and insert some slivers of garlic.  The Vacherin is often served as a dessert cheese, so in this case, eliminate the garlic.
• You may pour a generous ounce of white wine or champagne over the surface which has been pricked
• Bake in a pre-heated 200 degree Celsius oven for about 25 minutes
• Now dig in and sigh contentedly and like Tiny Tim say "God Bless us everyone!"

Vacherin Mont D'Or is an increasingly difficult cheese to come by on this side of the pond, but I have managed to bring some in.  Not inexpensive, it is a treat at Christmas or New Year's or a special gift for that hard-to-buy for foodie in your life.  So come into C'est Cheese Please! soon and scoop up this delicacy!

Literally!

Bon Appétit!