The recipe for Le Curé Nantais, a soft cheese with a washed rind made from raw cow's milk, is said to have been passed down in the 19th century in Saint-Julien-de-Concelles in the Nantes vineyards, following a meeting between a clergyman and a farmer.
A soft, supple cheese with an orange-red rind and strong flavour, it is aged in a cool, damp cellar on spruce boards.
It is similar to Reblochon, which makes it a fine alternative when making tartiflette, the signature dish of the Savoyard mountains. But it also stands up well on a winter cheese board.
Le Curé Nantais cheese generally pairs well with a local white wine such as Muscadet or Gros Plant.
Local speciality
Coussin de Lyon
In 1643, Lyon was devastated by a terrible epidemic. To put an end to it, the city councillors went in procession to Fourvière, where they placed “a seven-pound wax candle and a gold coin on its silk cushion” in honour of the Virgin Mary. This tradition inspired master chocolatierVoisin to create the Coussin de Lyon, a yummy chocolate ‘pillow’ topped with a thin layer of candied almond paste.
