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Cancoillotte
Franche-Comté's runny warm cheese with garlic and butter (home-style)
Cancoillotte is the loose, pale-gold melted cheese of Franche-Comté, the region around Besançon, Morteau and the Jura border. Families keep a pot of it in the fridge and warm it for Sunday supper, pouring it over boiled potatoes, dipping bread into it or spooning it over a baked potato. The real thing starts from metton, a ripened curd that is hard to find outside the region, so this home version uses quark and a pinch of bicarbonate of soda, the same trick German cooks use for Kochkäse: the soda turns the curd soft and melty, and butter, garlic and a little milk give the silky, slightly tangy finish. Most quark is made with little or no rennet, but check the label if that matters to you. Chef's tip: leave the quark and soda to rest for a full hour; it should turn translucent and gooey before it goes near the heat.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
To serve
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb low-fat quark, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda and ½ tsp salt in a bowl until smooth. Cover and leave at room temperature for 1 hour, until the curd looks slightly translucent and sticky.
60 minStep 2: Melt 1 ⅜ oz unsalted butter in a small heavy pan over a low heat. Add 1 clove garlic and cook for 1 minute without letting it colour.
2 minStep 3: Add the quark mixture and ¼ cup whole milk and stir constantly over a low heat until the curd melts into a smooth, pourable cream, about 6–8 minutes. Common mistake: turning up the heat to hurry it, which makes the cheese grainy and rubbery; keep it barely steaming.
8 minStep 4: Season with ¼ tsp white pepper. If it is too thick, stir in a little more milk; it should run off the spoon like thick custard.
Step 5: Serve warm in a bowl over 1 ¾ lb small waxy potatoes, or with bread for dipping. It sets as it cools and keeps for 5 days in the fridge; rewarm gently, stirring.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 180 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cancoillotte take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 70 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of bicarbonate of soda?
- Baking powder, three times the amount (the bake may taste slightly different).
- What can I use instead of unsalted butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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