The market · Dairy and eggs · France and the north-west

Fromage blanc

Fresh, unripened cheese, soft and tangy — the base of cervelle de canut and the custard of an Alsatian tarte flambée.

fresh · tangy · light

What to do with it

Ibu Sari's Beef rendangFromage blanc would cut through its richnessAna Etxarri's Pil pilFromage blanc would cut through its richnessTolu Adeyemi's SuyaFromage blanc would cut through its richnessTolu Adeyemi's Rendang, the Lagos wayFromage blanc would cut through its richness
Classics built on it
LyonnaisCervelle de canutFresh white cheese beaten with shallots, garlic, chives and parsley, a little oil and vinegar, eaten on bread.No one here has made it yetLyonnaisRavioles du DauphinéTiny squares of pasta filled with cheese, fromage blanc and parsley, poached in stock for a minute or baked in cream.No one here has made it yetAlsatianTarte flambéeBread dough rolled paper-thin, spread with fromage blanc and cream, scattered with onion and bacon, and baked in seconds in a blazing oven.No one here has made it yet

If you can't find it

Cheese shops.

  1. 1Quark
    The same, or strained full-fat yoghurt
    You lose a little sweetness.

Goes with

chiveshallothoneybacon

Knowing it

Where to buy
French delis. Quark or drained Greek yoghurt mixed with a little crème fraîche is the nearest swap.
Worth knowing
Drain it in a cloth for an hour if you want it thicker, for spreading or for tart fillings.

Kitchens that keep it in

Lyon and its hinterland — the Rhône and Saône valleys, from Bresse to the DauphinéLyonnaisA city's cooking, rich and unfussy: pork and offal in the bouchons, cream and butter from Bresse, fish from the rivers, and the wines of the Beaujolais to wash it down.9 classicsAlsace — north-eastern France, between the Vosges and the RhineAlsatianFrench and German at once: sauerkraut and pork, yeasted cakes and bread, fresh cheese and cream, cooked with the dry white wines of the Vosges foothills.9 classics

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