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COLLECTION: GOAT HANDBOOK
ORIGIN: United States
DATE INCLUDED: June 1992
Extension Goat Handbook
This material was contributed from
collections at the National Agricultural Library.
However, users should direct all inquires about the
contents to authors or originating agencies.
DOCN 000000019
NO B-13
CHEVRES FOR GOURMET
G. F. W. Haenlein; U. of Delaware, Newark
D. L. Ace; Pennsylvania State U., University Park.
Management and Housing
1 Chevre, a name increasingly heard
in American cheese stores, is the French word for
goat - and by extension, cheese made from goat's milk.
Though goat cheeses of one description or another
are as old as cheese-making itself, the selection
of chevres in most American cheese stores has been
comparatively modest until the last few years, when
importers and distributors began looking more vigorously
for small, out-of-the-way rustic French cheeses formerly
thought too difficult to transport. Today, the larger
factory-made chevres are a staple in specialty stores
and cheese departments across the country, and their
farm-produced cousins are snatched up by the knowledgeable
within hours of arrival.
2 As a group, French chevres hark
back to the simpler era of farm cheesemaking when
fresh curds were merely salted, formed into small
shapes, and drained for varying amounts of time -
days, weeks, or months - during which flavor and consistency
gradually changed. They are rarely aged long enough
to undergo the changes in curd structure that separate
Emmenthaler, Gruyere, cheddar, or most other semihard
cow's milk cheeses from fresh cottage or pot cheese.
In France, chevres can sometimes be bought at a few
days of age, and rarely are they aged more than four
to five months. Their youth means that the difference
among them does not fit easily into categories. There
is much variation - from chevres very mild to rockhard
consistency and stunning acidity. Chevres can include
white cheeses as soft as butter, wrinkled tan ones
with the look of half-cured leather, and objects that
appear to have been picked up off the barn floor.
All have the unique edge of goat's milk, a complex
and faintly biting flavor. Even the young chevres
share a hint of the pungent overtones of all goat
cheeses.
3 Progress to Maturity It is the
young, mild cheeses that are most popular with American
chevre-lovers. They are moist, creamy and easily spreadable,
the goat taste is an agreeable accent rather than
a powerful flavor. As the cheese ages and moisture
evaporates, leaving behind the salted curd, the texture
becomes firmer, crumbly, compact, and finally hard
and dry. With decrease in moisture content, flavors
intensify. By the age of several months, most chevre
are strong, salty, and pungent. These older cheeses
are appreciated by connoisseurs.
4 A different development is followed
by those chevres that are not left to age after being
shaped but are surface-inoculated with bacteria to
form a soft natural rind. Though these too will eventually
dry out if left, they go through stages comparable
to soft-ripened cow's milk cheeses like Chaource or
Camembert. The chevre curd mellows and takes on a
buttery smoothness, then will become glistening and
semifluid. If left for more than a few days after
reaching this stage, soft-ripened chevres usually
become rank and ammoniated. It can't always be predicted
whether a given cheese will get to the runny stage,
but - unlike Bries and Camemberts -soft-ripened chevres
are generally acceptable if they remain firm.
5 Appearance Influences Flavor Chevres
are made in a variety of shapes and sizes, which influence
the ways in which the cheeses develop. Certain shapes
are associated with particular kinds of chevre so
that knowledgeable shoppers will often buy chevre
by shape instead of peering at labels.
6 The importance of shapes and sizes
is that they determine the ratio of surface area to
internal area, so that a cheese in the shape of a
large, thin, flat disc will be more exposed to the
air and dry out faster than one formed into a smaller
higher cylinder. The way in which flavor develops
with aging will also be affected by size, small cheeses
will age more uniformly than large ones. Air and dryness
discourage the kinds of bacterial action that might
take place in the airless, protected interior of a
thicker cheese, so that the very smallest, thinner
cheeses are unlikely to develop a soft, runny center.
Chevre connoisseurs learn to expect certain possibilities
of flavor and texture along with the various traditional
shapes.
7 Coatings Coatings and coverings
of chevres are associated with particular varieties.
Leaf coverings were at one time a practical packaging
material and came to be traditional for certain chevres.
Some factory-made products today bear token chestnut
leaves of green paper to link them with rustic originals.
If these natural coverings - chestnut leaves, grape
leaves, ferns - are in good condition, not moldy or
off-smelling leave them on until serving time, since
their appearance is part of the cheese's attraction.
The black or gray ash coatings are also a traditional
appearance of some cheeses. Ash coatings are made
of burnt leaves or vine cuttings and are nearly flavorless,
though they may have a slightly astringent taste.
They slow but do not stop the process of drying out
as the cheese ages.
8 Chevres are often rolled in dried
or powdered herbs or spices: sarriette (savory), fennel,
rosemary, pepper, paprika mixtures. These additions
will change the balance of flavors if the cheese is
used in cooking.
9 A number of chevres have no coating
or are covered by a soft rind. When young, uncoa ++++MISSING
DATA++++
10 Chevre Families Sorting of different
chevres is confusing to novice shoppers though it
shouldn't be because many developed as rustic specialties
known by traditional shapes or by names of local landmarks.
The different flavors and textures of most chevres
reflect not so much difference among basic categories
than different degrees of aging. The same cheese can
be moist and delicate tasting in the spring, dry and
pungent in July. There are some cheeses that are served
at a particular stage of development, but uniformity
is not the rule with chevres. For this reason, classifications
tend to be difficult. Here is a rough grouping of
some familiar types and names.
11 Among the young rindless chevres
eaten at an early stage, the factory produced MONTRACHET
- a snowy white log shaped cheese available with or
without coating of black ash is the most widely sold
in this country. Mild and creamy, with only a hint
of goatiness, it is excellent for introducing friends
to the realm of chevres.
12 Of those with a rind that permits
them to develop some of the characteristics of a soft
ripening cheese, BUCHERON (a factory cheese, produced
by the large St. Saviol cooperative) and LEZAY BUCHE
(made by the Lezay cooperative) are commonly available.
Both of these are log-shaped cheeses (hence the names
Buche - log - and Bucheron - log-cutter) that develop
a more buttery quality and unctuous texture than Montrachet.
DOLMEN, a large truncated cone, the square CARRE D'ALZOU,
and the ring shaped CAPRICORNE are bloomy rind cheese,
but because of their sizes and shapes they will often
develop like Bries, becoming mellifluous and semiliquid
on the inside as they age. The Savoy-made TOMME DE
CHEVRE, also surface-ripened, is a low cylinder (like
a cheesecake) with some of the characteristics of
the soft, supple Reblochons of Savoy.
13 The large category of rindless
cheeses that can be met at various stages of development
includes -to name only a few - the log-shaped ST.
CHRISTOPHE and STE. MAURE, the small cylindrical LE
CORNILLY, various pyramid-shaped cheeses (VALENCY,
POULINGY ST. PIERRE, and a few close siblings), the
ball-shaped BOULE DE SOREDA, the heart-shaped cheeses
(solid plain - COEUR BLANC - or with a black ash coating
- COEUR NOIR), the brick-shaped LINGOT DE POITOU (also
sold with or without ash), the small tapered cylinders
- all variations on a basic cheese - sold under the
general name of CHABI or CHABICHOU, and the flat round
SELLES SUR CHER. When very young, these can be as
moist and mild-flavored as a Montrachet; but they
are usually left to develop and take on character
for a few weeks or months, becoming fuller and ''goatier''
while shrinking to size and becoming firm textured.
It is a good idea to ask for a sample taste of such
cheeses whenever possible before buying, to judge
whether the cheese's particular stage of development
is to your liking.
14 The group of chevres generally
marketed at a fairly advanced age and in a hard, sharp
flavored condition is less well known in this country
than the young cheeses and the variably aged ones.
The most widely available here is CROTTIN DE CHAVINGNOL
- though the examples brought into the United States
nowadays are often on the young and mild side, enough
so that it may be hard to reconcile cheese-lovers'
description of the traditional evil looking blackened
French crottins (the word literally means dung cakes)
with these more innocuous imports.
15 Partial and Sometimes Chevres
There is also a group of cheeses that are not pure
goat's milk but that for one reason or another are
associated with chevre. When goat's milk was in short
supply or not available at all, it has always been
traditional to make some local cheeses with cow's
milk or various mixtures of cow's, sheep's, or goat's
milk. In addition, there are some cheeses made of
goat's milk enriched with cow's cream - for example,
ROYAL PROVENCE, a buttery-textured, golden half-wheel
encrusted with a sprinkling of savory. BANON and ST.
MARCELLIN are among the either-or cheeses, small fresh
discs traditionally wrapped in chestnut leaves, they
are generally made of cow's milk (less often a goat-cow
mixture) when manufactured on a commercial scale,
but a few farms still produce all-goat versions. Unfortunately
it is not always possible to tell an all-goat from
an all cow or mixed-milk cheese simply by reading
a label; though the words ''pur chevre'' on a label
indicate 100-percent goat's milk cheese, there are
many all-goat cheeses that do not carry this description,
and there are mixed milk cheeses whose names or logos
might lead one to suppose them pure goat's milk. Dealing
with a knowledgeable cheese seller is the best guarantee
of knowing what you are buying.
16 Though seasonality is no longer
as decisive a factor as it once was in the making
of goat cheeses, it is still an important consideration
in any serious exploration of top-quality chevres.
Today the larger commercial producers freeze goat's
milk for consistent year-round supply. Cheeses like
Montrachet, Bucheron, and Lezay Buche are available
in good condition throughout the year, to the great
pleasure of cheese lovers both here and in France.
However, the better cheese stores still make a point
of searching out farm produced chevres made by traditional
methods on individual farms (hence the name that sometimes
appears on labels, fermier) rather than mass produced
at factories. Farm cheeses are often made from unpasteurized
milk and developed fuller, deeper flavor than most
commercially produced cheeses. They are still distinctly
seasonal, late February to September being the best
shopping time. Chevres fermier cheeses are more individually
distinctive.
17 Goat Cheeses From Other Countries
France is certainly not the only country to make good
goat cheeses. A few American produced chevres - for
the most part young, delicate cheeses -are starting
to be carried by major cheese stores in this country.
Soft, young Italian goat cheeses are also increasingly
available. But at present nothing matches the rich
array of French chevres available in the best American
cheese stores.
18 Turi is the generic word for cheese
in Greek, and the two most common types - both available
in American stores - are Feta and Kasseri. Feta, produced
from either goat's or sheep's milk, can be superb.
If one is lucky enough to have a cheese store that
knows its Mediterranean gastronomy, he'll be offered
mature Feta that is rich and creamy, similar to that
which is turned out in small measures in the hills
close to Delphi and Mount Parnassus.
19 As one of the so-called pickled
cheeses, Feta is white, soft, and salty. The best
Feta that comes to the United States travels in kegs
of milk in which the cheeses slosh to keep them from
dehydrating. The worst is dry and acrid and should
be avoided, but there are also medium quality Fetas,
which, though a little crumbly, have a pleasant tangy
flavor. Very good variations are made in the Greek
islands, including small rounds from Zante, which
are matured in vats of olive oil.
20 Kasseri is the other Greek sheep's
milk product of which a good imitation is made nowadays
in America. It is interesting to note that some travelers
in Greece have found Kasseri to be so soapy as to
be almost inedible. Good Kasseri should be as white
as Feta but harder, so it slices well, and its salty
flavor should be as well tempered as that of fine
Roquefort. Kasseri and other firm Balkan cheeses such
as Halumi, Hashkaval, and Kefalotyri (the last is
also made from goat's milk) are delicious when cut
into cubes and grilled over charcoal or under a broiler,
or fried in oil or butter, then served extre ++++MISSING
DATA++++
21 Queso de Cabrales, a white Spanish
goat cheese, becomes a dessert when its faintly salty
tang is balanced by thick honey. In the mountainous
province of Asturias in the north of Spain, goat's
and sheep's milk are combined with cow's milk, pressed
into round forms in farm kitchens, salted, and then
aged in limestone caves until the cheeses look like
the mold-cured Roquefort of France, but, taste like
Stilton when eaten with a draft of country cider.
Queso de Cabrales is named for a village hidden away
among the trout streams of the Cantabrian Mountains
called Arenas de Cabrales. Most cabrales end up on
local tables, but some goes to distant markets wrapped
in leaves.
22 On the Iberian Peninsula, the
cheeses are almost exclusively goat or sheep. Many
of those from Portuguese mountain villages are generically
called queijo de serra, cheese of the mountain. Most
of these are made from ewe's milk, but, in areas where
goats are common, their milk is also made into Serra
cheese; others, which look and taste much the same,
are the result of combining both kinds of milk. One
of the creamiest and richest is to be found in Azeitao
not far from the port of Setubal.
23 A unique goat cheese, called Gjetost
is made in Norway and is now often found in US stores.
It looks brown and tastes a bit like semi-sweet fudge
candy, because it is caramelized. It consists of whey
cheese.
24 There are many other countries
with interesting goat cheeses, too many to mention,
or too little known about them here.
25 Before beginning to cook with
chevre, it is necessary to realize that this is not
one of those neutral flavors that can be casually
added to all kinds of foods. The characteristic bite
of chevre magically sets off some foods and sharply
contradicts others. Chevres go beautifully with Mediterranean
ingredients and seasonings; for example, eggplant
and tomato gratin with accents of thyme and olive
oil.
26 Though they can be excellent with
many other foods from fish to pasta, it is essential
to use them in judicious amounts and to remember that
the effect of the goat tang in combination with other
strong, full flavors can be quite different.
27 Though it is possible to use stronger,
older chevres in cooking (for example, grated or crumbed
on green salads or composed salads), you will pro
bably want to begin with mild young cheeses. In some
cases, a Montrachet-like cheese could be substituted
for a Bucheron type without ill effect. A rind-aged
cheese like Bucheron has slightly better melting qualities.
Montrachet is made both with and without black ash
coating, the two versions are interchangeable in recipes.
The ash coating will not affect flavor, though it
may produce a slightly bluish tinge in some dishes.
28 If only a subtle hint of chevre
is wanted, decrease the amount of chevre and substitute
an equivalent amount of a milder product like cottage
or pot cheese, ricotta, or even cream cheese. If you
enjoy the pungency of goat cheese, you may wish to
increase suggested amounts of chevre and tone down
the contribution of other cheeses in recipes where
they are used in combination.
29 Based on articles by A. Mendelson
in CUISINE, July 1982, and E. Jones in GOURMET, May
1973.
CHEVRES FOR GOURMET
COLLECTION;GOAT HANDBOOK
ORIGIN;United States
DATE_INCLUDED;June 1992
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