Cervelle de Canut
Cervelle de canut is Lyon's brilliant answer to herb cheese, fresh fromage blanc whipped with shallots, garlic, chives, parsley, and a good glug of walnut oil. The texture's somewhere between cream cheese and thick yogurt, but lighter and sharper than both.
Ingredients
- 400 gr fromage blanc faisselle if you can get it
- 2 shallots
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 handful chives
- 1 handful flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tbsp tarragon or chervil
- 2 tbsp walnut oil
- salt and black pepper
Equipment
Instructions
1. Drain the cheese
- If your fromage blanc is loose, drain it through muslin or a fine sieve for 30 minutes. Most faisselles are fine as they are. You want it between Greek yoghurt and soft cream cheese: thick enough to hold its shape, still creamy.
2. Prep the aromatics
- Chop the shallots, garlic and all the herbs finely, fine enough that no one gets a chunk. Everything needs to distribute evenly.
3. Mix
- Beat the fromage blanc smooth with a fork. Add the shallots, garlic and herbs and mix until evenly distributed. Creamy, but keep a little texture.
4. Add the oil and season
- Pour in the oil gradually, mixing as you go. Start with 2 tbsp and add more if needed, enough to make it creamy, not swimming. Season generously with salt and pepper and taste.
5. Chill
- Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, ideally overnight. Serve cold with crusty bread, warm boiled potatoes, or radishes.
Notes
- Fromage blanc is a fresh, mild, unaged cheese, similar to quark. Quark is the best substitute; or mix 300g Greek yoghurt with 100g cream cheese.
- Season generously. Fromage blanc is bland and needs more salt than you'd expect.
- The chill isn't optional. Two hours minimum, overnight better; the flavours need to meld.
- Herbs are flexible, quantity isn't. Use plenty, whatever's fresh.
- Keeps 3 to 4 days and improves after a day.