Bûche de Montrésor

Cheese Atlas — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 10:15:07 +0000

The one with a thin straw

Bûche de Montrésor is a soft matured goat’s milk cheese made in the Loire Valley by Fromagerie Jacquin. It is inspired by the classic Sainte Maure de Touraine recipe but is made using pasteurised milk instead of raw milk.

The village of Sainte Maure lies south of Poitiers, in a region that is renowned for log-shaped cheeses.

However, a distinguishing characteristic of Bûche de Montrésor is the thin straw stick that runs through the centre of the cheese. This prevents the fragile curds from falling apart when the cheese is first removed from the long moulds and also provides ventilation for drying.

A coating of ash

The cheese is then covered with salted, powdered charcoal and laid on a board to completely drain. Affinage takes between ten days, and three to four weeks, during which the cheeses are turned every day in a well-ventilated, cool cellar at 10°-15°C with 90% humidity.

At 10 days, the logs have a light yellow rind with no mould development. At this stage, the pâte is still soft and has a pronounced tang. However, by the third week, a blue mould forms on the rind, which has now become drier. The pâte also changes to become drier, denser and smoother.

A young Bûche is fresh and acidic with citrus notes. As it ages, flavours intensify and become more nutty and salty. The mouthfeel is still surprisingly smooth.

How to pair Bûche de Montrésor

Serve with a chilled Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre or, for something a bit more daring, a glass of Umeshu.

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Skyla

Cheese Atlas — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 05:28:21 +0000

Wrinkles don’t get much sexier

Skyla is a goat’s milk cheese made by Holy Goat Cheese in Sutton Grange, Victoria.

Carla Meurs and Anne-Marie Monda established Holy Goat Cheese in 1999. After spending 12 months working on farms around Europe in the early 90’s, the couple returned to Australia.

Eventually, they purchased Sutton Grange Organic Farm and promptly set up a small dairy facility.

Best of both worlds

From the start, the farm’s small herd of 120 Saanen and British Alpine goats (of which 80 are milked) has been free to roam. As a result, they have access to an incredible variety of local grasses and shrubs to feed on. Unsurprisingly, they produce a high quality sweet milk which is perfect for cheese making.

In the dairy factory, Carla and Anne-Marie make both fresh and matured goat’s milk cheeses. Their amazing range includes that award winning, La Luna and Nectar.

Moreover, Skyla is one of their mature cheeses. They make in a small log shape and cover the surface with a mould called Geotrichum candidum which produces a trademark wrinkly ivory rind. Underneath, it has a pristine white pâte with a creamy soft texture and mild fresh flavours.

How to pair Skyla

The sweet and citrusy flavour is beautifully contrasted with savoury activated charcoal crispbreads and homemade Italian salami.

If you prefer a sweet pairing, quince paste will perfectly complement this fine chèvre. Wash it all down with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc

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