5 WAYS WITH REBLOCHON
by Caro Blackwell
We’re in the thick of it – winter, snow, ski, après-ski and of course, cheese! Outdoor winter activities require a lot of energy and luckily there are many hearty Savoyard dishes to enjoy using the abundance of local ingredients that we are so lucky to have here.
I’ve put together 5 recipes from my Taste of Savoie blog – all using the wonderful, versatile and well-known cheese from this region – Reblochon.
WHY WE LOVE REBLOCHON
Reblochon cheese gained AOC status in 1958 and was first produced in the Thônes and Arly valleys, in the Aravis, Haute Savoie. Thônes remains the centre of Reblochon production today and the cheeses are made in local cooperatives in the area. The Reblochon skin contains Umami – one of the basic tastes so it’s little wonder we can’t get enough of it in the winter!
TWO TYPES OF REBLOCHON
There are 2 types of Reblochon cheese and they are depicted by either a green or red seal in the skin. The green is the higher quality ‘fermier’ which is matured for longer and has a stronger flavour and the red is standard quality and a little milder. Normally the green label Fermier Reblochon goes well on a cheeseboard and the red label is the Reblochon to cook with.
WINE RECOMMENDATION
A good Savoie wine: Apremont, Crepy or a Chignin-Bergeron would go down well with any Reblochon dish and often in it! There are some great Savoie Red wines too – so if you’re planning to put a green label Reblochon Fermier on your cheeseboard, try serving it with a light Savoie Red like a Jongieux or Mondeuse – both dry enough to cut through the delicious creamy cheese.
5 REBLOCHON RECIPES TO TRY:
FUSION SAVOYARD FRENCH ONION SOUP
For a hearty lunch with a french crusty baguette, try my fusion savoyard french onion soup. I created this recipe by mixing a few recipes, including Delia Smith, Cooksister and one from Michel Roux Jr’s latest cookbook The French Kitchen. To add the Savoyard twist I used Chignon wine from the Savoie and our very famous Haute Savoie Reblochon cheese.
For recipe click here.
SAVOYARD FUSION ESTONIAN KRINGLE
Good to take in the backpack or serve with the French Onion Soup above. This Kringle bread hails from Estonia and a very fine and versatile bread recipe this is. The ideas for fillings both savoury and sweet are endless and most of the fun is creating your own. To create a fusion Savoyard version; the star of Haute Savoie…Reblochon just has to be involved – so I took a few of the main ingredients of that old favourite – the tartiflette and incorporated them into a bread.
For recipe click here.
BAKED REBLOCHON PITHIVIER STYLE
Taking the main ingredients for a tartiflette and turning them into a very tasty and satisfying sharing starter or lunch served with a salad. I was inspired by a recipe I saw on *Chefs Club (link below) and adapted it to create a Savoyard version. It’s a great dish to arrive at the table with, as it looks impressive but is not difficult to make!
For recipe click here.
SMOKED SALMON TARTIFLETTE
A variation on a theme – and a much lighter version of the classic.
This is one of those dishes that you just can’t get enough of – especially after a good hike in the mountains, an exhilarating cycle in the alps or a great morning on the piste! So although rather a calorie laden dish, this version with smoked salmon is lighter than the classic tartiflette made with bacon lardons. For recipe click here.
REBLOCHON FRITATTA/TORTILLA
Tartiflette ingredients turned into a classic Mediterranean dish.
This is a made up recipe, using all the main ingredients for a tartiflette except for the potatoes (although having said that cooked cubed potatoes could be added for a more filling omelette).
PROFILE OF CARO BLACKWELL
I am a passionate foodie, french wine lover and photographer. I live in the Haute Savoie, Rhone Alps region of France. Originally a Cordon Bleu and Culinary Institute of America trained cook and I hold WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) certificates I and II. Working as a professional cook on-board a luxury charter yacht based both in the Caribbean and Mediterranean for several years fed my thirst for travel and seeing the world. My hobby of photography, I turned into a profession by studying which I really enjoyed. This meant that I graduated from The Photography Institute with a Diploma in Professional Photography in 2014.
My blog www.tasteofsavoie.com enables me to indulge my passions of both photographing and eating my way around this wonderful region of France and the Genevois area of Switzerland, trying local dishes, testing recipes, tasting local wines and cheeses, travelling and eating in some superb restaurants!
