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.

Prep15

Cook

Total2 15

Servings

DifficultyEasy

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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