This issue’s recipe from our Michelin starred chef takes us back into the signature restaurant of Maison Décotterd. It features the delicious Vacherin Mont d’Or, a seasonal, soft, washed-rind cheese made from cow’s milk in the Jura mountains of France and Switzerland.
Vacherin Mont d’Or cheese enjoys Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, meaning it’s produced exclusively in a specific area of the French and Swiss Jura mountains.
Stéphane Décotterd says of his star ingredient for this dish, “Vacherin Mont d’Or is a must-have on any cheese platter, but only reveals its incredible spruce bark flavor when heated. Our Vacherins are produced by Danièle Magnenat at the Séchey cheese dairy in the Vallée de Joux.
“When I was a child, we used to drink black tea with fondues, raclettes and other cheese dishes. I wanted to recreate this flavor combination, so I added black tea to a dish with cheese, potatoes and pickled mushrooms.”
Why not give this recipe a try yourself? Trust us, it tastes as good as it looks!
And if you are unable to obtain Vacherin Mont d’Or cheese where you live, Stéphane says that Reblochon or Camembert could substitute.
Recipe (4 servings)
Powdered herbal black tea
– 5g dried verbena
– 5g dried sweet woodruff
– 2g black tea (Darjeeling or Earl Grey)
Blend all the ingredients together and store the powder in an airtight container for later use as a seasoning.
Herbal black tea
– 2.5g verbena
– 2.5g dried sweet woodruff
– 1g black tea (Darjeeling or Earl Grey)
– 1 litre water
Bring the water to the boil, remove from the heat and wait 3 minutes. Add the tea and herbs, leave to infuse for 5 minutes, strain and set aside.
Tea and mustard seed vinaigrette
– 1 teaspoon of white mustard seeds
– 1 dl (deciliter) dry white wine (Chasselas)
– 2 dl black tea with herbs
– ½ teaspoon of cornflour
– 0.5 dl sherry vinegar
– Salt
– Walnut oil
Blanch the mustard seeds twice for 2 minutes, then put them in a saucepan with the white wine. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Bring the tea to the boil, then thicken with some cornflour diluted in cold water. The texture should be smooth but not too thick. Add the vinegar and salt, then stir with a whisk while adding a drizzle of walnut oil.
Finish with a pinch of herbal tea powder, adjust the seasoning and add the mustard seeds.
Confit potato balls
– 2 firm-fleshed potatoes (Bintje variety)
– 20g butter
– Salt
– 100g herbal black tea
Wash and peel the potatoes, then make small balls using a melon baller.
Place the balls in a saucepan with the tea and butter, season lightly with salt, then cover and steam. The potatoes should be melting and fully coated with the tea and butter mixture.
Tea sponge cake croutons
– 2 eggs
– 25g melted butter
– 75g herbal black tea
– 50g flour
– 1 pinch of herbal black tea powder
– 2 g baking powder
– 2g salt
– Small paper cups
Blend all the ingredients until you have a perfectly smooth mixture. Pour into a siphon and add a gas charger. Fill the cups to three quarters of their height with the mixture, cover with plastic wrap, then pierce the plastic wrap with the tip of a knife.
Cook for 2 to 3 minutes in the microwave at full power (900 W). Unmold and gently tear the biscuit with your hands to obtain small pieces of crumb. Place on a baking tray and dry in an oven preheated to 80ºC. Set aside in a dry place.
Using the siphon and the microwave, we obtain a very light and crustless cake. This sponge cake can be used in many different ways.
Finishing and plating
– 1 Vacherin Mont d’Or PDO
– Confit potato balls
– Pickled chanterelles (see basic recipes)
– Tea sponge cake croutons
– 4 spinach baby leaves
– 8 leaves of flat-leaf parsley
– 8 lovage leaves
– Tea and mustard seed vinaigrette
– Herbal tea powder
Wrap the Vacherin box in aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes in a fan-assisted oven preheated to 160ºC. The Vacherin should be warm, runny and grilled.
Chop the spinach, lovage and parsley leaves.
Heat the potato balls, then spread them on the bottom of the warmed plates. Pour the mustard seed vinaigrette on top and sprinkle with the chopped herbs. Garnish with pickled chanterelles and tea sponge cake croutons.
Serve and pour the hot Vacherin over the potatoes in front of your guests. Using a tea ball, sprinkle the plate with powdered herbal black tea.
- Click here to purchase Stéphane’s first cookbook – “Gastronomie entre lac et montagnes” – directly from the Maison Décotterd shop (Swiss customers only).
