Fromage Fort
Leftover cheese pieces crushed in a food processor with garlic, white wine, and pepper make a strong, delicious spread for toasts served as is or toasted under the broiler until golden brown.
Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients
- 1 pound leftover cheese pieces
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- ½ cup dry white wine
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Sliced baguette or toasts
Method
- Start with the hard cheese. Trim up the ends and remove the rind, as needed, and then cut into medium chunks. Trim the softer cheeses, as needed.
- Put the garlic in the food processor to chop. Add the hard cheese through the tube and continue to process. With the food processor still running, stream in half the wine, the soft cheese, and then drizzle in the remaining wine as needed to make the mixture smooth. Scrape down the sides, season generously with pepper, and blend again until smooth and creamy.
- Serve with or on the baguette as is or toast under the broiler. Spoon any remaining fromage fort into smaller containers and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month.
Notes
Fromage Fort means strong cheese. This recipe came from my father who would make it when we had leftover cheese. He would soak the scraps and pieces in bouillon, and a bit of wine until they were soft, then crush them with a lot of garlic. It’s delicious spread on toasts as is or toasted under the broiler until a golden brown. Now, when I clear the fidge, I make it in the food processor in batches because it freezes well.
This recipe is never the same twice. Try to have a mixture of half hard and half soft cheeses. If you have less soft, you can add a bit of cream cheese or sour cream to make a smoother mixture.
