Persillé de Tignes

Persillé de Tignes

Persillé de Tignes is a raw-milk blue-veined cow's milk cheese from the Haute-Tarentaise valley in Savoie, France, traditionally served as a small wedge after a meal or melted onto potatoes and bread. Because the genuine article is rarely exported and the production method requires raw milk and specific Alpine starter cultures, this recipe describes how to prepare and serve it the local way.

Prep

10 min

Total

10 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •300 g (10½ oz) Persillé de Tignes cheese, or substitute a mild blue such as a young Bleu de Termignon or a mild Fourme d'Ambert; genuine Tignes is raw-milk and hard to find outside Savoie
• •1 small loaf Savoie country bread, Pain de campagne or a rustic sourdough
• •2 tbsp Savoie white wine, Vin de Savoie, dry; or use a dry French white such as Roussette
• •1 pinch cracked black pepper

Steps

1. 1 Remove the cheese from the refrigerator 45-60 minutes before serving so the interior softens slightly; Persillé de Tignes is firm and crumbly when cold, with a sharper blue flavor, and creamier as it warms.
2. 2 Cut the wheel or block into thin wedges of about 50 g (1¾ oz) each, slicing from the rind toward the center to keep a piece of the natural rind on each portion - the rind is part of how it is traditionally eaten.
3. 3 Cut the bread into thick country slices and lightly toast or warm them on a griddle; locals typically serve the cheese on warm bread rather than at room temperature with cold bread.
4. 4 Arrange the cheese wedges on a wooden board or slate with the warm bread on the side, a small glass of chilled Savoie white wine to drink, and a light grinding of cracked black pepper over each wedge.
5. 5 If you want the classic 'melted on potato' preparation (sometimes called tartiflette-style with Persillé instead of Reblochon): slice 600 g (21 oz) boiled, peeled waxy potatoes, layer them in a small baking dish with 200 g (7 oz) sliced cheese and 100 ml (3½ fl oz) dry white wine, and bake at 180°C / 350°F for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and just set.
6. 6 Serve immediately, while the cheese is still warm and supple, with more bread and the same Savoie white wine.