Pionnier

What happens when two of Quebec's finest cheesemakers collaborate to fabricate a new cheese? You get, what I believe to be one of Canada's greatest cheese; Pionnier.

Pionnier is a firm, washed rind, cooked paste cheese, made from a blend of raw cow and sheep milks. The large 40 KG wheels which are aged for 10 to 12 months are branded with a muslin label integrated in the crust.

The history of the Pionnier is explained on the muslin label; "C’EST ELLE, C’EST LUI, C’EST EUX", which translates to "It's Her, It's Him, It's THEM". She is Marie-Chantal Houde from Fromagerie Nouvelle-France (maker of Zacharie Cloutier winner of the 2011 Sélection Caseus Gold & 2013 Bronze), he is Jean Morin from Fromagerie du Presbytère (maker of Louis-D'Or winner of the 2012 Sélection Caseus Émérite and Bleu d'Elizabeth winner of the 2013 Sélection Caseus Gold and 2013 Émérite award). They have put their hands and heads together to create the Pionnier another award winning cheese (2013 Sélection Caseus Bronze & a special award for Best Raw Milk Cheese).

The Pionnier has a lovely honey coloured paste that is rich and creamy. Pionnier has a strong fruity, buttery and hazelnut flavor, with a perfect balance of acidity and sweetness, followed by a complex lasting aftertaste. This artisanal mountain style cheese reminds me of the French Savoie cheeses; Abondance and Beaufort d'Alpage.

Remember, Pionnier is an artisanal cheese and is produced in limited editions. If you get your hands on a piece, savour it.  The Pionnier pairs nicely with a white Chardonnay de Chablis or a Merlot de Savoie.

www.fromagepionnier.com

Burrata

Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream. Burrata is usually made from  buffalo milk but it is also made from cow milk or a combination of both milks. The success of Burrata cheese is huge right now, not only in Italy but here in Montreal it is very much in demand.

Burrata was first made in the early 1900s on the Bianchini farm in the town of Andria in the region of Puglia in southern Italy. The ingenuity of these cheesemakers began producing Burrata as a natural consequence of the typical peasant culture and accustomed to little waste and the reuse of any surplus. They decided to mix the residues from the processing of the cheese dough with the cream and wrap it all in a casing which is also made of spun paste.

Burrata is formed into a pouch made from spun curd which contains a soft heart of cream called 'panna' and is filled with ritagli ( the 'scraps' or 'rags') of mozzarella, wrapped with leaves of asphodel, a local herb which grows in the wild in the area of Andria and gives an aromatic and tangy note to the cheese.

The Burrata I selected is produced by Cilento S.P.A. a cheese factory located in Cellole in the region of Campania in southern Italy. The Cilento family have been operating for more than a generation in the dairy sector, dedicated exclusively to the production of the Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP (Protected Designation of Origin).

Enjoy the sweet milky buttery taste of Burrata in simple dishes and also in very elaborate meals. Burrata can be enjoyed simply accompanied by a green salad or served with ripe juicy red tomatoes, olive oil and ground black pepper.  A delightful rich cheese that pairs nicely with a Castel del Monte, a dry, medium-bodied chardonnay from the Puglia region of Italy.

Here is a great video put out by the Culinary Institute of America on the making of Burrata: Puglia's Molten Mozzarella.

Clandestin

Le Clandestin is an exquisite soft, washed rind cheese made with the pasteurised whole milks of both cow and sheep.

 

Le Clandestin has a lovely soft orange hued washed rind lightly specked with white. The sumptuous rich white coloured paste becomes very creamy after an affinage of five weeks.

Le Clandestin has a rustic farmer’s aroma. The cheese has a somewhat marked lactic flavour slightly acidic yet without being too aggressive.

Le Clandestin is produced by Fromagerie LeDétour located in Notre-Dame-du-Lac in Québec's Lower St-Laurence region in the Lake Témiscouata area near the New-Brunswick and the USA's Maine borders.

Fromagerie Le Detour is run by husband and wife team Ginette Bégin and Mario Quirion. They have been making artisanal cheeses since 1999. They produce a variety of milk products; butter, cream and hard, soft & semi-soft cheeses among them Magie de Madawaska and the lovely chèvre Grey Owl.

Le Clandestin pairs well with a classic Italian Chianti from Toscany. La Fromagerie Détour suggests pairing it with an Irish Malt Whiskey from Islay. Splendid!

http://fromagerieledetour.ca/index.html