Fromage Fort Cheese Spread
Fromage Fort
A quick French-style cheese spread made by blending leftover cheeses with white wine, garlic, herbs, and a little butter when needed.
Fromage fort is the practical answer to the last pieces of a cheese board. A few firm scraps, a soft wedge, a little wine, garlic, and herbs turn into a spread that tastes intentional instead of leftover. The mix changes every time, which is part of its usefulness.
Use about one pound of cheese in any combination you like. Firm cheeses should be grated so they blend smoothly, while soft cheeses can go in as chunks. A small amount of blue cheese gives the spread depth, but too much will take over, so keep it modest unless you want a blue-cheese-forward version.
White wine loosens the cheese into a spreadable texture and gives it a clean, sharp finish. Add it gradually because soft cheeses need much less than firm, dry cheeses. If the batch is mostly aged cheese, a tablespoon or two of butter helps round the texture without making it heavy.
Serve fromage fort with toasted baguette slices, crackers, grissini, or crisp vegetables. It can be eaten right away, but a short rest in the refrigerator lets the garlic and herbs settle into the cheese. For a warm version, spread it on bread and broil briefly until glossy and lightly browned.
Nutrition (per serving)
Directions
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1
Trim away any hard waxed rinds from the cheeses, leaving edible soft rinds in place if you like their flavor.
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2
Grate firm cheeses and cut soft cheeses into small chunks so everything blends evenly.
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3
Add the cheese, optional butter, and minced garlic to a food processor.
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4
Pulse until the cheeses begin to combine, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
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5
With the processor running, drizzle in 1/2 cup of white wine until the mixture loosens into a spread.
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6
Add more wine a tablespoon at a time only if the spread is too stiff for dipping or spreading.
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7
Add the chopped herbs and pulse just until they are evenly distributed.
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8
Taste and season carefully with kosher salt and black pepper, remembering that many cheeses are already salty.
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9
Transfer to a bowl and serve right away, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
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10
For a warm appetizer, spread fromage fort on baguette slices and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until the top is glossy and lightly browned.
Ingredients
- Mixed Leftover Cheese, firm cheeses grated and soft cheeses cut into chunks:1 lb
- Unsalted Butter, softened, optional for mostly firm cheeses:2 tbsp
- Garlic Clove, minced:1 small
- Dry White Wine:1/2 cup
- Dry White Wine, extra as needed:1/2 cup
- Fresh Chives, Parsley, Thyme, or Rosemary, finely chopped:2 tbsp
- Kosher Salt:to taste
- Black Pepper, freshly ground:to taste
- Baguette Slices or Crackers, for serving:as needed
Tips & Notes
- Keep blue cheese to a few ounces unless you want it to dominate the spread.
- Use a dry, drinkable white wine; very sweet wine can make the cheese taste flat.
- Let refrigerated fromage fort stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving so it spreads easily.
- If the garlic tastes sharp right after blending, give the spread a few hours in the refrigerator before serving.
