Say "Chevre"...and Smile

I doubt that there’s an official head count of the goats of France, but judging from the number of chevre cheeses in every market, there must be enough goats to take control of the French government in a man-vs-billies battle. (And it seems that a majority of Frenchmen would consider the goats an improvement over the current lot.)

The number of shops in this country devoted exclusively to cheese is staggering. At the famed Sunday morning market on Rue Poncelet in Paris’ 8^th arrondissement, several caught my eye in the first block. (We’ve rented an apartment nearby for the week. It’s cheaper than a good hotel; we get to eat a great breakfast at home (hotels charge upwards of $20 for simple breakfast); and we’re caught up in the rhythm our own little neighborhood.)

This photo of the market comes from a cool Web site I discovered recently called "Kiss17th."

The window at Aleosse, one of the most renowned purveyors of cheese, was filled with chevres…shaped like buttons, logs, crottins, pyramids, hearts, you-name-it. Wrapped in leaves, dusted with ash, speckled with herbs, and set afloat in seasoned olive oil.

But one jumped out at me from the masses. The Bouyguette du Segala has a unique shape…maybe a  small fish? maybe the graceful “leg” of a starfish? Decorated with a sprig of rosemary, it also wore a gold sticker touting its Bronze Medal at a 2010 “general agriculture” competition in Paris.

From the cheese company’s Web site, I learned that the Bouyguette is hand formed into its distinctive shape, then wrapped in cloth, which leaves the impression of the folds on the cheese. Its flavor is terrific, bright and fresh and layered. Its consistency is sensational. Even straight from the refrigerator, it had a lovely spreadable texture. After a half hour at room temperature the center was voluptuously creamy.

We enjoyed it with a “take-out” dinner we assembled at the marketplace – rotisserie chicken, lentil salad, ratatouille, mixed green salad, and heavenly gratin potatoes scooped from a metal casserole pan almost a yard wide. It was just as yummy for breakfast the next morning with seeded rolls and sliced tomatoes.

Now….to find a source in the U.S.  Stay tuned.

Comments

[On A Train]

Looks delicious.
How was Camembert selection?