Ogleshield: The Raclette from Somerset

Cheese Atlas — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 03:37:52 +0000

Ogleshield is a semi-hard cow’s milk cheese made by Jamie Montgomery in Somerset, England.

A family tradition

The Montgomery’s have been making this Cheddar at Manor Farm for three generations now.

Jamie Montgomery’s Grandfather, Sir Archibald Langman, established the family farm in 1911. While many other cheesemakers shut down during the World Wars, they persevered with making their amazing Cheddar.

When Jamie Montgomery took over the family business in the mid 90’s, he was determined to create a cheese that was different to the ubiquitous “supermarket” Cheddars.

A herd of Jersey cows

Manor farm is home to a herd of Friesian-Holstein and Jersey cows. Over three generations, the Montgomery family have used the milk from their Friesian-Holsteins to make Montgomery Cheddar.

Originally, they were selling their Jersey milk because it can’t be used to make their signature Cheddar. However, in 1998, they developed a new recipe that would allow them to capture the amazing qualities of the milk.

The Raclette from Somerset

The new recipe was a hybrid of Cheddar and French Tommes and used raw Jersey milk. The Montgomery’s decided to call the cheese Jersey Shield.

After some early trials, William Ogleshield, senior cheese affineur at Neal’s Yard Dairy, suggested that they wash the wheels in brine.

Overall, this process would trap more moisture in the cheese and encourage a sticky orange rind to form. Hence was born Somerset’s version of Raclette and it was fittingly renamed Ogleshield.

What Ogleshield tastes like

Ogleshield is a gentle yet complex cheese, with a sweet and fruity aroma. Moreover, its flavour is warm and savoury with notes of chicken broth.

The texture beneath the pungent pink rind is soft and elastic. As a result, it melts beautifully when grilled.

How to serve Ogleshield

While this semi-hard wonder can be served on a cheese board, it truly comes into its own when melted.

Serve using a Raclette grill or simply slice and melt in a sandwich! Pair with Damson paste and Orkney oat cakes.

The post Ogleshield: The Raclette from Somerset appeared first on Cheese Atlas.

Raclette de Savoie

Cheese Atlas — Thu, 16 Dec 2021 04:58:35 +0000

Raclette de Savoie – Fromagerie St Ours – Source

Iconic cheese from Savoie

Raclette de Savoie is a semi-hard raw milk cheese that originates from the Savoie region of Eastern France.

Until now, local milk producers, farmers, cheese makers and affineurs are the guardians of this iconic cheese’s history and recipe. Actually, we can trace the origins of this cheese back to the Middle Ages.

The origin of the name

At that time, farmers would enjoy this cheese in summer on their way to grazing pastures with their cows. Indeed, they would melt half a wheel of cheese on a wood fire and then scrape the melted surface with bread or potatoes.

Actually, this scraping process is where the cheese gets its name from. “Racler” is a French word that means “to scrape”.

How Raclette is made

While Raclette is made both in France and Switzerland, the name Raclette de Savoie is actually protected by an IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée).

Moreover, the IGP dictates that only cheesemakers in Savoie are allowed to use this name. In addition to this, they have to exclusively use the raw, uncooked milk of local cows.

Each wheel weighs around 5 kg and is around 30 cm in diameter. Furthermore, the cahiers de charge specify that the cheese has to be matured for a minimum of 12 weeks on wooden boards.

What Raclette tastes like

At 12 weeks, the cheese develops an orange to brownish-orange natural rind wrapped around a straw-coloured paste.

While the aroma can be moderate to strong, the cheese’s flavour is very delicate with savoury notes of hazelnuts and broth. When melted, the aroma and flavour are tantalisingly elevated.

Keep reading after the break for our tips on how to serve this incredible cheese.

How to serve Raclette de Savoie

You can’t go wrong with tradition here. Melt a half or quarter wheel of Raclette and scrape it onto boiled potatoes, cured meats and cornichons.

Enjoy a local pairing by serving with a glass of Vin Jaune de Savoie or a local Amber Ale.

Substitutes for Raclette de Savoie

There are a number of Raclette style cheeses made around the world. If you are chasing a truly authentic experience, try to find one from France or Switzerland.

A great example of Swiss Raclette is Raclette Berghof. And, if you’re in the UK, look out for Ogleshield, the Raclette from Somerset.

The post Raclette de Savoie appeared first on Cheese Atlas.

Raclette Archives | Cheese Atlas