La Cancoillotte

Cancoillotte is a cheese from the Franche-Comté region which is very low in fatty matter. It is either pronounced “can-coy-yot” or can-coa-yot” between the North and South of la Franche Comté.

To make cancoillotte, you need to remove the cream from the milk: this is the starting point of this cheese and having such a low fat content: what do you do with the milk once you have skimmed it to make butter? 

The skimmed milk is then left for several days at ambient temperature: it curdles naturally and the whey (or lactoserum) drains off by itself and you get what is called “metton” - a block of curds to be crumbled up before leaving it to mature (and not to go bad!) for several days at ambient temperature. 

When the stirred curd becomes nice and yellow (and with a strong smell … you have to admit…), you add butter (5-13% of the total weight of the finished product) and then cook it all.

I remember some fun times spent with friends over some metton brought back from Franche Comté and our giggles which led to somewhat indignant reactions from the passengers in the train we had taken. Metton by itself is not easy to transport, but cancaillotte is very stable ever since Mme RAGUIN had the idea of sterilising it during the First World War to be able to send it to her husband on the front…

The RAGUIN brand still exists, its original recipe as well… even though the company was bought by Lactalis some years ago. And don’t pour scorn on cancoillotte from the President brand, it’s a genuine Franche-Comté cheese!

A cheese speciality with a low calorie count (due to its recipe and the quantity of butter added, between 3 and 11% fat content) and with a very aromatic flavour, you can enjoy cancoillotte by itself or on a piece of firm bread (it’s runny!) or of course on hot potatoes, with some strips of bacon, or in gratins, quiches etc.

Comments

[Ludovic Windsor]

Can I suggest a post on the Neufchatel?