The Odd Coupling

Over the last eight months, I’ve discovered the pure pleasure of offal (a culinary term for the entrails of a butchered animal) thanks to the perfectionists at the eccentric but well respected, very secret but important, Paris-basedAcadémie de Abats, or the “Offals Académie – a realm of connoisseurs driven by an obsession for these simple products that are so often elevated to the pinnacle of their taste and status by inspired chefs; a group of 150 lovers of the rarest or most unexpected dishes and concoctions, focusing only on the pleasure that food can deliver; a world of crazy men that drove me to the idea of creating a cheese discovery that could match the taste of the great fromage de tête (headcheese).

Fromage de tête (or FDT) is an outstanding pork (or veal) terrine made from the head of the animal. As you may well imagine, this iconic gourmet dish is not so glamorous in its first state: It is made with pork head (sometimes with tongue and feet as well) carrots and onions, all slowly softened into a hot bouillon and nicely condensed into a jelly.

Inspired by the various French regional versions of this dish, I thought I’d recommend five regions – Auvergne, Berry, Burgundy, Corsica and Normandy – and their iconic cheeses to create an original version of this simple dish.

Auvergne

This region is known for the best cow-milk cheeses in France, as well as fantastic blue cheeses, such as Roquefort, and some of the most famous pâte cuites (cooked and pressed cheeses) in the world. My recommendation is to mix FDT with a Salers that has been aged for 36 months. The long aging brings alive the suavity and richness of its milk, creating a unique flavour. One outstanding idea is to make a terrine of FDT with a layer of Salers. 

Berry

Valencay, a chèvre (goat’s-milk cheese) from Berry, is one of the world’s top cheeses. This little piece of food jewellery is strong and tasty and comes from the village of Levroux. The cheese got its shape (it resembles a pyramid with no top) from the bell tower of the village church. Slightly bitter and acid, it is a perfect match for FDT.

Burgundy

The “land of excess” boasts its own fantastic treasure: l’Époisses, one of the strongest French cheeses. This noble item was so hard to create that it almost disappeared between the two world wars. Two families brought it back to life with passion and made the fabulous Roi des fromages (king of the cheeses) by Brillat-Savarin. Its intensity brings another perspective to FDT, making it as neutral as a piece of bread!

Corsica

This region is known especially for its sheep’s-milk cheeses, of which Montamitu is a prime example. The best way to taste Montamitu is with marquis’ grass. An aromatic grass found in Corsica which embodies the strength and the passion of this wonderland. Our FDT balances Montamitu and evokes the hot smell of this rich land, giving this sheep’s cheese a softer flavour.

Normandy

The great region of Normandy is renowned for not only the invasion by Allied forces in 1944 but also its unbelievable Camembert de Normandie, surely one of the most famous French cheeses. We couldn’t finish our FDT tour of France without showcasing this legendary fromage. Named after the town of Normandy, this soft and intense moment of gastronomy will leave an enduring memory.

This brings us to the end of our culinary voyage, proving that the offal world is NOT an awful world!

Brad Farmerie's Fromages de Tête Recipe