Fromage Fort

Food processor
Cheese grater
Silicone spatula
Weck jar, crock, or bowl

1.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the cheese, butter, garlic, wine, chives, black pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Blend until super smooth, about four minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides.

Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt if necessary.

2.

Using a silicone spatula, transfer the mixture to a small Weck jar, crock, or serving bowl. You might want to portion it into smaller jars to save for later—this spread is rich, so a little goes a long way.

3.

Serve with crackers, bread, or crudités. For a twist, spread it on sliced baguette and broil for a few minutes.

Ingredients
  • 8 ounces (227 grams) of a mix of cheeses, both hard and soft, grated if necessary
  • 2 ounces (½ stick or 57 grams) of unsalted butter at room temperature, a triple-cream cheese, or a mixture of both, you’re looking for that consistency
  • 1 small clove or half of a larger clove of garlic, grated or minced (this is the fort)
  • ¼ cup dry white or rosé wine (do not use red; the spread will turn an awful grey color)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped chives
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
  • Kosher or sea salt to taste if at all necessary; many cheeses like Parmesan already give a heft of salt, taste, and decide

Cook's Notes

The French have a knack for using everything. A French dictum is “Tout est bon dans le cochon,” or “Everything’s good from the pig,” meaning they use and eat everything from head to tail. You will see French chefs scraping the last of the egg white from the shell with their forefinger determined not to waste any. Fromage fort is another tasty French idea born from thrift. The name means “strong cheese,” likely due to the addition of garlic.

It is a way of using all those errant bits of cheese in your refrigerator and transforming them into something special, spreadable, utterly delicious, and good to the last nub.

You can be quite flexible with this recipe. The key is to get the proper consistency—soft cheeses or butter are essential for that creamy, spreadable texture.

Beyond that, feel free to experiment. I am currently doing a mix of Brie, Gruyère, Parmesan, and Feta with creamy butter.

This freezes well, so you can portion it out and save some for later. It’s also easy to double or halve, and very forgiving. Enjoy it with a glass of springtime rosé or Chardonnay, though there’s no harm in pulling out a red—it’s your soirée, after all.