Cheese experts (and me) agree that Roquefort is one of the top, all-time-greatest cheeses in the world.
All Roquefort is produced in the southwestern region of France and is designated as AOC, the first product ever to do so in 1925, and is a designation meant to denote quality and provenance from a certain region made in a certain manner.
Roquefort is a raw-milk cheese, aged between 3 to 9 months in caves. It gets its unique flavor and mold as a result of some very old rye bread; jumbo-sized loaves are baked, then left to sit for two months, during which time they become encrusted with mold. The mold is scraped, then introduced into the caves, where the cheese becomes encrusted by the greenish powder, then inoculated with the spores (called penicillium roqueforti) by resting the wheels of cheese on spikes. That's why often you see 'lines' of mold in Roquefort, as in many other bleu cheeses. But unlike other bleu cheeses, Roquefort has a very special, sweet and tangy flavor that lingers and excites.
(And yes, I'm excited by cheese...)
Roquefort goes very well with winter foods, such as pears, dates, oranges, toasted nuts like walnuts and pecans, sweet Sauternes, or with bitter seasonal greens like frisée, radicchio, or escarole. A simple winter salad can be made with chunks of Roquefort, slices of ripe Comice pears, leaves of Belgian endive, and a drizzle of good walnut oil.
And why not add a handful of chopped Italian parsley while you're at it?
But sometimes Roquefort's best enjoyed just smeared on a piece of hearty levain bread...and that's lunch.
When you buy Roquefort, it should be moist and creamy without any red mold and the cut surface should glisten with milky freshness. It usually comes with a piece of foil around its exterior, and whether or not to eat the rind underneath is entirely up to you (don't eat the foil...especially if you have lots of dental fillings.) If the rind looks dark and funky, skip it. It's probably going to be too pungent and dank-tasting. But most of the time it's fine to eat and as delicious as the rest of the wedge.
Here in France, there's almost too many brands to choose from when you visit your fromager. There's the omnipresent Société (who produce more than half of all Roquefort made) and my favorite, Le Papillon. But I don't think I've ever had a Roquefort that was not wonderful, so it's hard to go wrong when buying from a reputable cheese vendor.
Here's a recipe of mine that will surprise you: Roquefort and Honey Ice Cream.
Try roasting some pear slices in the oven with some strong-flavored honey and spices and maybe a strip of lemon peel. Serves warm, with a scoop of this ice cream melting alongside. I also like this with a spoonful of dark honey on top, served with a sweet dessert wine, like Barzac or Sauternes.
Roquefort and Honey Ice Cream
6 tablespoons honey
4 ounces (110 gr) Roquefort
1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
1 cup (250 ml) milk
4 large egg yolks
a few turns freshly-ground black pepper
1. In a small saucepan warm the honey, then set aside.
2. Crumble the Roquefort into a large bowl. Set a mesh strainer over the top.
3. In a medium saucepan, warm the milk.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly.
5. Scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
6. Over medium heat, stir the mixture constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spoon.
7. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cheese. Stir until most of the cheese is melted (some small bits are fine, and rather nice in the finished ice cream.) Stir in the cream and the honey, and add a few turns of black pepper.
8. Chill custard thoroughly, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
I knew about the caves, but not the rest. I love this cheese too, but...don't you want to know who figured out HOW to make it...eh have you tried letting the bread mold, then rubbing it on cheese in a cave...were they high? Thank you for the info. Love info.
Alisa: I think because cheese was originally a way to preserve milk, perhaps some shepard was carrying his moldy loaf of bread with some milk. It was all sloshing around as he climbed every mountain, and voila!, Roquefort. Or something like it...
Oh my god, roquefort and honey ice cream? Can I marry you? (Actually, I think you've just saved my marriage, as now I know the one kind of ice cream I can make that won't mysteriously disappear from the freezer while I'm at work. Sometimes it pays to be the only roquefort lover in the family!)
The cheese may excite, but the green lump of bread found on top of my fridge last week does not. And yet they're so interrelated in the grand scheme...
Coincidentally, I just bought an ice cream maker and am making your Mint Sherbet from Room for Dessert for its first use tonight... but now I kind of wish I had some Roquefort!
This sounds lovely - I'll have to try it soon.
(Edited by David...merci Lisa!)
I love this cheese. Had a yummy (at least to me) dark chocolate praline truffle with roquefort cheese center at the recent fancy food show -- which means I was able to combine two great loves. Would be great with a nice big Italian red. That would make three loves!
Wow this looks amazing! I guess I could use Stilton too for the ice cream, or do you think Roquefort would be better?
Poor C gets sick EVERY time he eats any kind of bleu cheese.
I'll echo Melissa's sentiments -- this could be an ice cream I don't have to fight for!
on a totally different note, I was thumbing thru Richard Sax's classic home desserts and I came across your recipe for east-west gingerbread. I can't wait to make it. Do you have it anywhere in your blog?
David, this is SO not fair. I love roquefort, just adore it, but I can't have it. Damn that moldy old rye bread -- that's gluten, baby. Ugh. That little bit will make me sick.
Fatemah, is that why C gets sick when he eats it? How's he with wheat?
Still, these photographs are great. They just make me want to eat it!
A thing of beauty!
David, this recipe of yours is what ice cream makers were made for, clearly! I can't wait to try it. Thank you!
Now that song from The Sound Of Music is going through my head...you know, with the climbing of mountains, forging of streams, and that lonely goat herd, that movie was subliminally ALL about the cheese. THAT was the dream!
Woah, Shauna... that's CRAZY that just the freakin' spores off the bread carry enough gluten to make you ill. Unbelievable.
No, there must be something in the inocculations of mold that upsets his gut. It's not just roquefort -- it's all bleus. And he really loves them, too. He can have maybe a 1/2 inch piece without getting sick, but that's about it.
I wonder what a scoop of this would be like on top of a walnut ladden brownie?
David, I can't wait to try it - it sounds very intriguing!
What a great explanation of the origins of this delicious cheese. My jaw dropped when I saw the ice cream recipe; it sounds incredible, and yes, I can imagine how heavenly it would be served alongside baked fruit!
wow, thanks for the recipe - I'll have to get an icecream maker soon I think!
Can you believe that they have only just started allowing the import of Roquefort into Australia?
David, I cannot eat ice cream more than once a year, but you inspired me to work with Roquefort and I have invented a new recipe just for you. It requires two more tests and a tasting by an Italian, but then I shall post it at my blog and name it for you! I use a lot of Gorgonzola, but Roquefort is 20 euro a kilo here, so much less of it.
Well, I made it. And I'm still not sure what to think of it. :) Pictures up on my blog (see link).
I like to make scones with this cheese and a dash of tabasco. -- Hey David, it's me Lyn-nut, noisette - from C.P. days. How do I contact you?
I am stunned and stupified...and can't wait to make this.
PS: I too agree that Roquefort is on the top of greatest cheeses list.