The Mont d'Or, the other Jura massif
By Jean-Pierre Montanay
(c) Romain Bassenne
A single cheese is enough to symbolise the traditions and know-how of the Jura, the Mont d'Or. Strapped into its spruce wood, then served in its box to be eaten with a spoon. Proud of his Jura roots, Matthias Marc, chef of Substance* in Paris, is a fan of it to the point of fleeing the capital for a few hours to go to Longevilles-Mont-d'Or, to discover all the backstage of the Fromagerie Arnaud. This house, founded in 1907 by Jules-Charles Arnaud, is now run by his grandson Jean-Charles, who embodies the third generation of this dynasty of affineurs. For our guest of the day, he agreed to open us the doors of the house, and to play the guide.
Visiting a cheese factory is not without precautions: wearing a blouse, overshoes and a mandatory cap: "Be careful, here, we don't mess around with hygiene" warns the owner. After disinfecting the hands, the chef and the cheesemaker are already at the heart of the factory which produces 3 cheeses here: Mont d'Or, Comté and Morbier, the holy trinity of the Jura mountains. For Matthias Marc, this is not a first time; As a child, he used to hang out in the region's cheese dairies, but at the foot of the copper vats that contain the curds obtained by rennet, his curiosity remains insatiable. "Is the cheese pressed or not at all? he asks. "In fact, it is pressed on its own mass," corrects Jean-Charles Arnaud, "we turn it over before strapping it, it's an ultra-artisanal task. Imagine that for each cheese, you have to have prepared a strap, and everything here is done by hand." This spruce strap, softened in a bath of hot water, tightens the cheese while it is still warm like a belt. 16 wild boars supply the Fromagerie Arnaud with spruce straps, obtained by planning this part of the tree located just behind the bark. Wide-eyed, Matthias doesn't miss a beat of the boss's story: "I'm the son of a forester myself, so the story around the strap has always fascinated me, and it fascinates everyone in the region."
Double date
The visit takes place on a very special day, September 11th, the day after the first Mont d'Or of the year was put on the market. "It's the only appellation of origin in the world where we have this requirement for a double date," explains Jean-Charles Arnaud, proud to perpetuate ancestral traditions. We are allowed to make it from August 15th to March 15th and then we have to put it on the market from September 10th until May 10th; it refers to the tradition of winter cheese from our mountains." "That's what makes the myth of this cheese," adds the gourmet chef, salivating. For Matthias, these field visits are essential. "It's essential to know the work behind the beautiful products we work with, it's even fundamental in the training of a cook. I am also thinking of my team, to whom I will give all the information gleaned today, in order to pass on the history of this product." Words that touch Jean-Charles Arnaud. "It's flattering and not so often to see a chef devote time, have the curiosity to understand what makes the difference between several cheese-makings" before adding that these visits allow "to show that we are not afraid to open our doors, nor to hold a discourse of truth and transparency ». Our luxury guide then takes us to discover the cellars, to better understand the transformation of cheeses over time. Jean-Charles Arnaud grabs one at random and shows the chef how to recognize a quality cheese: "Look at the suppleness and elasticity of this cheese! You see this wave that is forming on the surface, explains the cheesemaker, you could say that it's marketing but not at all! This means that the texture and workmanship are good."
Mont d’Or Fucker
The opportunity is too good for Matthias to tell how he works in the kitchen of the Mont d'Or with this recipe that has been on the menu of Liquide, his Parisian bistro. "I called him, sorry for the rudeness, the 'Mont d'Or fucker', just to create a bit of a buzz." Hilarious, the cheesemaker demands to know more. "Because it's a naughty Mont d'Or, it's also a tribute to Paul Bocuse's VGE soup," retorts Matthias Marc. A gourmet recipe based on Mont d'Or, braised diced Jerusalem artichokes, truffles and shallots deglazed with yellow wine. The box is then covered with puff pastry and put in the oven, hence the nod to VGE soup. Finally, in front of the customer at the table, you have to make a hole in the dough and place the chicken juice and grated truffle. "I have to taste," exclaims Jean-Charles Arnaud, "I've never seen a recipe like this, it surprises me and makes me want to do it. It is a genuine pride to see the great chefs magnify these traditional cheeses made for centuries."
After an hour of visiting, it is finally time to move on to the tasting. A Mont d'Or about 25 days old sits on the table and the master of the house, spoon in hand, takes the plunge. "I'm going to attack it a little in the centre, but what's interesting, especially for young cheeses, is to go and taste it as close as possible to the strap." With his fingers, he grabs one end of it and brings it to his mouth. Verdict: "It's not bad at all! For a cheese that is very young, it still has a very nice creaminess! ". It's Matthias' turn to taste. "It's my first Mont d'Or of the season, and after this visit, it has an even more special flavour! ". The first, certainly, but certainly not the last.
