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Cervelle de canut
Herbed fresh cheese dip
Lyon's herbed fresh-cheese dip (cervelle de canut)
The name means 'silk weaver's brain', a joke from the Croix-Rousse hill in Lyon, where nineteenth-century canuts worked the looms and could not afford the lamb's brains their bosses ate. Their version was fromage blanc whipped with shallot, garlic and herbs, and it is still served in every bouchon as a starter or after the main course, with bread, toast or boiled potatoes. Some cooks splash in white wine; this version uses a little white wine vinegar instead, so it is alcohol-free. Some fromage blanc is set with rennet, so pick a brand labelled vegetarian if that matters. Chef's tip: make it an hour ahead; the shallot softens and the herbs flavour the cheese right through.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 14 oz fromage blanc or quarkdrained in a sieve for 20 minutes if watery
- 3 tbsp crème fraîche
- 1 shallotvery finely chopped
- 1 clove garliccrushed to a paste
- 3 tbsp chivesfinely snipped
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsleyfinely chopped
- 1 tbsp chervil or tarragonfinely chopped
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp walnut or olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepperfreshly ground
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Beat 14 oz fromage blanc or quark and 3 tbsp crème fraîche in a bowl with a whisk for 1 minute, until smooth and light.
1 minStep 2: Add 1 shallot, 1 clove garlic, 3 tbsp chives, 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley and 1 tbsp chervil or tarragon and fold through.
Step 3: Whisk in 1 tbsp white wine vinegar and 2 tbsp walnut or olive oil, then season with ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Common mistake: using a food processor, which turns the herbs green-grey and the cheese runny; mix by hand.
Step 4: Taste; it should be fresh, herby and a little sharp. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes, then drizzle with a little more oil and serve cold with bread or warm boiled potatoes. It keeps for 2 days in the fridge.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 120 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 4 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cervelle de canut take?
- About 15 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of crème fraîche?
- Sour cream or Greek yoghurt, same amount (add yoghurt off the heat so it doesn't split).
- What can I use instead of shallot?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
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