Recipe of the Month - May
Fromage Blanc with Indian Spices and Green Chutney
Serves 4-6
Fromage blanc is a sort of cross between ricotta and thick strained yogurt, with a fresh slightly tangy flavour. Its quite popular in France, eaten with chopped herbs, shallots and garlic, or plain with a fruit coulis and mantle of lightly whipped sweetened cream. I think there is no dessert quite as refreshing and delicous as this — especially when apricots are in season, sweet and fragrant and mashed with honey before being spooned on to the fromage blanc.
Here it is enjoyed as a sort of dip. The recipe is from The Milk Advisory Board and made with California fromage blanc when I'm in California, and fromage frais when I'm in Europe. It is delicious: the popping, crunchy spice-seeds with the smooth herby chutney... I fell in love with it at first taste: the creamy cheese, the crunchy spicy seeds, the light and herby zesty chutney...
- 1 lb Fromage Blanc (California's Cowgirl Creamery makes an excellent one, and almost any French one is sublime, as long as it isn't completely nonfat)
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/2 jalapeno or other favourite green chilli, stem and seeds removed
- 1 cup parsley, large stems removed
- 1 cup cilantro, large stems removed
- 1 cup mint, large stems removed
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice or to taste
- 1/4 onion, chopped finely
- Salt and sugar to taste
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon nigella seed (black onion seed)
- 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds (ordinary mustard seeds)
Spoon the fromage blanc into a bowl, stir it to loosen it, then cover with plastic wrap and chill.
Prepare the Green Chutney: In a food processor whirl the garlic with the chilli, then add the parsley, cilantro, and mint. When it is all a finely chopped light mixture, add the lime juice and onion and whirl until it is a liquid mixture. Season to taste with salt and sugar. Chill until ready to serve. May be made up to 2-3 hours ahead, but do prepare it on the day as it will lose flavour and freshness the longer it sits.
Make the crisp toasted seeds: In a small saute pan with a tight fitting lid, warm the oil with the spices. Raise the heat to moderate, swirling the pan gently to cook the spices evenly. When the spices begin to pop, cover the pan and continue to cook and swirl for another 30 seconds.
When the popping stops, remove the lid and spoon the spices and their flavored oil over the cheese then drizzle with the green chutney.
Serve with thin crisp rounds of baguette (slice thinly, brush with olive oil, bake in a 400°F oven for about ten minutes turning once or twice).
© Marlena Spieler 2004