Family-owned French dairy Fromagerie Lincet has been producing cheeses typical of the Champagne and Burgundy regions for five generations. As we haven’t tried any of their cheeses before, they sent us some of their dairy’s Chaource AOP to try out.
Fromagerie Lincet sells its cheese through a number of supermarkets in the UK, including Tesco, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s. They sent us the Tesco Finest Chaource 250g, which is available for £3.00 Tesco stores.
This type of cheese is usually compared to Brie and Camembert, and it was very similar in texture and appearance to those two cheeses. The taste, however, is a little different. Although it is known to be richer and slightly more acidic, the creamier blend, in my view, made this cheese much friendlier to those who are cautious with more exotic ingredients. My flat mate is very much a mild cheese kind of person and even she enjoyed the delights of this little gem.
The cheese has no artificial colours or flavours and 100% natural ingredients, it also benefits from PDO status. You can serve the cheese young for a tartness and slightly grainy texture, or mature for longer for a butter-like consistency and delicate mushroom aromas. Chaource AOP ripens from the outside in, so the longer you leave it, the gooier it will get on the inside!
There are many different ways to use this cheese, we used it in salads, on crackers and my favourite way was to top burgers (we used chorizo burgers, with a spoon of red onion marmelade, salad leaves and a squeeze of ketchup). With the gooey, rich flavour, the possibilities are endless. Why not try:
- Enjoy straight from the cheeseboard with crusty baguette – softer Chaource AOP will spread beautifully
- For creamy potato gratins, layer Chaource AOP with potatoes and bake.
- Use any leftover potatoes and Chaource in a soup
- Baking? For a tasty savoury tart; mash Chaource AOP in to the cheese mixture and bake in a shortcrust pastry base
- For a quick mid-week meal, stuff a tomato with Chaource AOP, bake, and sprinkle with bacon
- Serve any Chaource AOP dishes with a walnut salad to bring out the cheese’s nutty flavours
And don’t forget a glass of Champagne, red Burgundy or Chablis. These regional specialities all pair excellently with the cheese!
Where can I buy this?
- Tesco Finest Chaource 250g, £3.00 Tesco
- TTD Chaource AOP 250g, £3.30 Sainsbury’s
- Waitrose, Top Tier Chaource AOP Hugerot 250g, £4.49 Waitrose
Please keep in mind that these are RRPs and may differ slightly in store.
About Fromagerie Lincet
French dairy, family-owned Fromagerie Lincet was founded in 1895 and has been producing cheeses typical of the Burgundy and Champagne regions for five generations. Lincet is committed to its founding principles ‘flavour, natural ingredients and tradition, brought together to make good food’; using all-natural ingredients, traditional cheese-making methods and milk from local farms