Brie de Meaux revisited with the most prestigious of mushrooms: truffle! A recipe that has been a hit for several years. Report in Favières, in Seine-et-Marne, at a producer-refiner who reveals his secret.
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Like a Christmas scent in the heart of a cheese. The secret comes down to a clever mix of triple cream and broken truffles.
“The broken truffles will still bring their flavor but will be distributed evenly in the preparation that we are making”explains Eric Havard, manager of the 30 Arpents cheese factory in Favières in Seine-et-Marne.
It all begins in this place where 250 cows are housed, fed and washed on a farm where they decide the milking time. No more sleeping in, less stress.
“A cow comes every 4 hours”says Kévin Filippe, cowherd at the 30 Arpents farm – Compagnie E. Rothschild.
Automation recently implemented which makes it possible to produce 8,500 liters of milk per day with animals raised on site. “We saw a difference in the quality of the milk. They produce more and of better quality”he continues.
The bries are molded and drained under high heat and humidity.
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© France 3 Paris Ile-de-France
The preparation then begins. Molding and draining in tropical heat. All according to precise gestures: controlled designation of origin obliges.
“What matters to us is that the curd is in fairly thick pieces once it is in the mold. If it is too torn, there is too much dripping upstream and therefore the friction of the cheese will be different”explains Eric Havard.
After long weeks of maturing, the brie will transform in taste and become a festive cheese. “The fact of having fat in the interior stuffing allows the aroma of the truffle to be retained and fixed. This is important as it will spread throughout the mass of the cheese”he adds.
For several years now, this discovery has become the driving force behind this cheese factory's sales, with 3,000 bries produced every week in the run-up to Christmas and representing 25% of the company's turnover. Still count on 70 euros per kg for this product to be enjoyed without moderation.
