magazine
Artisan cheese of the month: Bleu de Gex, plus dried girolles
Discover the mild AOP blue cheese from the Jura, plus how to prepare dried mushrooms for autumn dishes
Artisan cheese of the month: Bleu de Gex
Autumn is a fine time for fromage fans – cheeses made with summer milk are richer, reveal their full complexity and develop more pronounced flavours – and this season is blue cheese heaven.
While Roquefort is the most famous blue cheese in France (made with ewe’s milk), another worth seeking out is the milder, blue-veined cow’s-milk cheese Bleu de Gex Haut-Jura. Both feature the addition of penicillium roqueforti.
Monks at the Abbey of Saint-Claude in the Jura mountains made it in the 13th Century, and it has had AOP status since 2008. Look out for the word Gex embossed on the rind.
Adorn your autumn cheese platter with dried fruits, figs or grapes.
Local speciality: Dried girolles
September to October is peak girolle picking season. But if you do not know a local wild-mushroom hotspot, dried versions are so handy and packed with flavour. Soak them in lukewarm water for 15 minutes, then boil for 60 seconds, and they are ready to serve with white meats (such as roast veal), in terrines or creamy sauces.
