Monger's Chat - Comté aka "The Perfect Cheese"

Hello! We've got a group of hungry cheesemongers gathered up to discuss all things Comté. Prepare to learn all matter of factoids, take in pairing suggestions, and even watch this fearless foursome dream up a brand new tuna melt! Shall we dive right in? First some introductions... Emilio – 3rd generation Di Bruno, VP of Culinary Pioneering, and guy who enjoys food. Hunter – 21-year veteran of Di Bruno Bros. Cheese and Charcuterie Category Manager. Amanda – Certified Cheese Professional and reliably a pleasure to deal with. Rocco – Repping South Philly, a CCP who is all smiles and all business.   Hunter I've heard several experts refer to Comté as "The Perfect Cheese." It's hard to argue that point. In my mind, cheese nerds appreciate it, and it's still very appealing to people dipping their toe in the specialty cheese pool. What makes Comté so appealing to you? Amanda It's just so versatile. Great on a board, the perfect melter- so easy to like! Rocco I think I am in the "Perfect Cheese" camp. It is a super snack-able cheese, there is nothing I would rather have under a cheese dome for easy access. It is also the most versatile cheese for cooking that I can think of. Emilio it seems like there are only a handful of this type of cheese today that folks enjoy regularly, they are the standard humble styles of cheeses. Hunter I'm glad you both touched on versatility. I agree that it works well in so many applications. I often hear the phrase "buttered toast" use to describe the flavor profile, and what doesn't taste good on toast? Emilio This cheese in particular melts /eats well and is never out of style Rocco Just the size and shape of the average cut of Comté in France is so epic. It's over a foot long! Amanda I'm so happy that we are featuring Comté as it starts to warm up for grilling season. Hunter Me too. I used it to make grilled cheese for my kids yesterday and 2 out of 3 liked it! That's an incredible result for me. Amanda #dadwin Hunter @Rocco good point, but does size really matter? Emilio One great pairing idea that come to mind is the Cabernet Onion jam from Tishbi, giving you that french onion soup vibe. Hunter That's an Amanda original, giving credit where it's due I reference that one all the time. Amanda @Emilio have you tried it with the basque cherry confit that we are featuring this month? Rocco I think so @Hunter I love the idea of having a solid 12 inches of space before my knuckles are on the grater/shredder Emilio yes, give her lots of cred for that one. it is a very pleasing sample at the stores you could have added that to your kids grilled cheese @Hunter (edited) Hunter Baby steps #cookingforkids Amanda You've all been to Fort Lucotte, right? Hunter I have! It's basically cheese Mecca Amanda I've seen pictures- what's it like in person? Emilio Not yet, was planning on it this year but i pushed to 2019. I need to go. Hunter So fun fact: the fort was built during the Franco-Prussian war, but was a complete failure Emilio   Rocco I have never been more overwhelmed by smell than when I stepped into the fort Hunter The French thought it would be a good idea to hide thousands of soldiers underground, then surprise the Prussians as the strolled through the forests. Unfortunately, the Prussians found the entrance, which was also the only exit. Emilio #warfail Hunter They barricaded it, forcing the French to surrender, and the French decided to use the space for something they're actually good at: affinage There are usually in the area of 100,000 wheels ageing at any given time And they're crammed into every nook and cranny. Some rooms, formerly sleeping quarters, have 8-12 wheels in them. Amanda That's a lot of Comté ... Hunter Most of the cheeses are in the main room, which looks like this   Amanda Do they use a specific type of wood to age the wheels on? Emilio Well i love this cheese, and although we had a great British promotion going on this weekend, i also purchased a half kilo of Comté... Which my wife and i had for a snack last evening Hunter What did you drink with that, Emilio? Emilio We had the Sicilian Grillo from Poggio Anima and also served it with the Rabbit & pork cheek pate from Smoking Goose with cornichon and the french mustard. You know the one. Hunter That sounds awesome! That's my favorite pate. Emilio The grainy one we sell but i have the small jar of the cognac mustard Amanda @Emilio I LOVE that wine. Bought a bottle home from the Rittenhouse store this weekend too! Emilio It worked well. Lots of body and kept the cheese savory. Rocco Marcel Petit completely changed the way that Comté was aged. People thought he was crazy going for quality over quantity. He took a cheese that was widely considered to be a commodity cheese at the time and put a premium on quality of milk used and careful aging. I love the classic Comté with butter and cornichon on a baguette Emilio I like to cut it into batons like match sticks Hunter then wrap those match sticks in Lady Edison Country Ham and top with a Basque Cherry Emilio Thats a good one @Rocco i like the butter from LeMeunier Amanda @Hunter that was my favorite bite during our staff training last month Emilio Now you're making me hungry again! Rocco I haven't had that Ham yet. I am excited for new ham! Hunter Get it while it lasts, @Rocco we only got 8 legs Emilio That ham is awesome. i also took home a bit of that this weekend. might use your pairing tonight @Hunter One of my favorite ways to enjoy Comté is melted on a burger and i think that Balthazar in NYC does it very well. Hunter Who can identify something in the make process that differentiates Comté from Gruyere, its Swiss cousin? Amanda They use a different breed of cattle Hunter @Amanda half credit...which breed? Emilio Montbeliard cows Hunter @Emilio full credit Emilio May have spelled that wrong Hunter There's an e on the end, but let's say it was autocorrect Amanda In Switzerland they use Holsteins for gruyere They call them Fribourgeois Rocco Here are the triumphant cuts of Comté from the shop at the Fruitiere   Emilio hahaha that is a picture of beauty! Hunter there's also a difference in how salt is applied. Gruyere is dipped in brine, while Comté is hand-rubbed in salt Emilio I start to salivate just looking at it! that's what i mean...... Amanda Have you guys tasted the Fleur lately? I typically prefer the older Comté Lucotte but the Fleur's been really, really tasty Hunter On Friday. Quite tasty. Maybe more flavor per price than any cheese we have at the moment, for only $19.99lb. Emilio i did on sat. it is nicely acidic or young tasting which i think is great for cooking Hunter Because the Fleur is about 6 months younger than the Fort Lucotte, you can usually see the seasonal variation in the color of the paste. One is from summer milk, which is grass-fed and therefore more yellow. The other is winter milk, silage-fed, and more bone-white. Rocco I have to say the Fleur is a slightly better melter than the other ages and you don't miss the complexity as much when its gooey and warm. Hunter @Rocco I agree Emilio I like the fleur with a frissee salad just dressed in an emulsified dressing of lemon, mustard, and olive oil with a poached egg. It is awesome! Amanda @Emilio you making us this for lunch? Emilio I know, now i'm making myself hungry Rocco Fleur is most often a pizza cheese in our house. Usually with bacon and thinly sliced raw onions, Emilio The french Pommery mustard is what i was talking about that's a good call Hunter We're going to feature it on scallops for the Legends Dinner this year Going to be epic. Emilio It sucks that i am going to miss it this year. Amanda Whoa. That sounds great. Hunter Whoever made the rule that you can't pair cheese with seafood was not very intelligent. Rocco What's on the scallops? The mustard or the fleur...or both? Hunter the Fleur Emilio I love cheese and seafood especially scallops Hunter We should come up with an elevated tuna melt Emilio ohhhhh Rocco I love cheese melted on pretty much anything. Hunter Mighty Bread Sourdough, Ventresca tuna, Comté Fleur, Piment Espelette Emilio That could be a great addition to the sandwich list Amanda Ortiz tuna! Emilio keep going....... Hunter Yuzu olive oil Rocco I'm in. Emilio Add some chopped cornichon... i love the brininess Amanda Crisp and Co pickles would be great too Rocco I like giardinera chopped up in tuna. Emilio Maybe a little crumbled hard boiled egg Hunter Or soft boiled, served open face Moderator: How does Comté fit into everyday French cuisine (if it does)? or French cuisine, generally Hunter Comté is actually the most-consumed cheese in France. It is their go-to table cheese, as we've identified it works in many classic recipes, too Emilio We know that, we need to keep educating the folks who come into DB Hunter I tell everyone. "Nobody knows cheese better than the French, and they eat more of this than anything? What more do you need to know?" Emilio What did i read about Comté ? it takes something like 160 gals of milk to make one 80lb wheel? Hunter I'm not sure...I wasn't there when you read it. Amanda It takes a lot of milk and a lot of love to make that cheese Hunter That doesn't sound too far off, though Amanda Especially in the summer Rocco   Those 2 vats are only 6 wheels of cheese! Emilio How many fruitieres are left to help with this production? Amanda wow. Emilio anyone? anyone? buehler? buehler? Hunter I think there are 175 Emilio thanks Moderator: What would trigger you to suggest Comté to a DB customer at the counter? Rocco Anyone that is ever looking to melt anything. Hunter A customer is looking to pair one cheese with several wines and/or beers Emilio We sell it because it i a very humble and extremely versatile cheese. And it has a range of flavor that changes from wheel to wheel. Amanda I think it's a huge crowd pleaser. Emilio It's simple to understand and tastes great! Amanda Nuanced enough for folks who know specialty cheese to enjoy and a great "gateway" cheese for those unfamiliar Rocco I think it has such a familiar makeup of flavors. Emilio It goes well with nuts, jams, hams (ham biscuits), other cheeses Hunter Honeys, mustards, hot sauces Rocco Nuts, brown butter, carmelized onions... Emilio It can last for time in your fridge if you can't get back to the store regularly. Rocco Don't forget the Fondue! Hunter Mac and Cheese! Emilio It travels well in a back pack, car, camper....that did it, now i gotta eat something. Amanda Omelettes! Rocco Souffle Hunter Comté is so versatile, but is there anything you would be sure NOT to pair it with? Emilio That's a tough question Hunter I don't particularly enjoy it with very hoppy beers Amanda I wouldn't pair it with a very bold wine or beer, you don't want to overpower it Hunter It's great with stouts, lambics, sours and pilsners, though. Rocco But you could pair aged Comté with something bold Amanda @Rocco yes! absolutely. Hunter Everyone check back in November when Comté Sagesse is realeased The single best day of the year. It's a two-year aged version that is just everything you could ever want Amanda I look forward to it every year Hunter Only about 1-2% of all Comté is aged that long, and it is typically released only in November. Emilio It comes in and goes out very quickly Rocco The wheels are gone before you know it. Hunter Sagesse, Black Betty, Vacherin Mont d'Or, Rush Creek Reserve, White Truffles...you can't beat November Rocco The crunchy crystals that everyone loves in Parm and Gouda in Comté ! Hunter .....aaaand scene.