Description
Chabert's Vacherin is a pasteurized version of Vacherin Mont d'Or, which is not available in the United States because it is aged under 60 days and not pasteurized. The cheese is wrapped with red pine, adding a woody and nutty aroma.
Baking the cheese in a small oven brings out its special flavor, especially if you add garlic and a splash of wine. You can also grind some black pepper over the cheese before baking it.
Baked Vacherin:
1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC.)
2. Wrap the container of cheese securely in foil, making sure to enclose it so the foil goes up to the top of the outside of the container, but leave the top exposed. Set the wrapped cheese on a baking sheet.
3. Poke eight-to-ten slits in the top of the cheese with a paring knife and slide the slivers of fresh garlic in them. Pour white wine over the cheese, and bake the cheese until it’s very hot – it will take between 20 and 30 minutes.
Serve with good bread, boil some new potatoes, and slice French ham to make a full meal. Pair it with a good, flavorful white wine, such as a Sancerre or a Gewürtztraminer.