Fromage Fort

• Recipe by Jacques Pépin

Fromage fort is the ultimate way of using leftover cheese. My father used to combine pieces of Camembert, Brie, Swiss, blue cheese and goat cheese together with my mother’s leek broth, some white wine and crushed garlic. These ingredients marinated in a cold cellar for a week to a week-and-a-half (he liked it really strong). Now my wife, Gloria, makes a milder version in a food processor that takes only seconds. It is delicious with crackers or melted onto toasts. It also freezes well.

Ingredients

1. 1/2 pound cheese pieces
2. 1 garlic clove
3. 1/4 cup dry white wine
4. Black pepper
5. Salt

Directions

1. Put about 1/2 pound of cheese pieces in the bowl of a food processor, add 1 garlic clove, about 1/4 cup of dry white wine and a big grinding of black pepper. Salt is usually not needed, but taste the mixture and add some if it is. Process for 30 seconds or so, until the mixture is creamy but not too soft, and then pack it into small containers. The fromage fort is ready to use now, either served cold or spread on bread and broiled for a few minutes. Broiling will brown the cheese and make it wonderfully fragrant.