Ranking of the 5 best cheeses according to chef Franck Derouet

Between AOP and small producers, the 3-star chef of Clos des Sens in Annecy has made the cheese platter a real signature.

With 45 varieties of cheese served and a maturing cellar within the restaurant, Le Clos des Sens in Annecy has made the cheese platter a real signature. Alternating AOP and small producers who free themselves from specifications to work on tailor-made and unique productions.

“Our maturing cellar allows us to obtain the ultimate result with up to three weeks of additional rest. We like it when our cheeses are less about lactic acidity and more about complexity, power and creaminess. This is particularly true of Reblochon, Tomme la Manigodine and floorin. »

- 1. The Queijo Serra da Estrela “Until I was 30 I only ate goat's cheese. This is what opened the field of discoveries to me. I liked the atypical way of eating it with a spoon. It was then its buttery side that seduced me (I love butter). It's creamy with a fairly pronounced taste of sheep's milk. It's sort of the opposite of Camembert in my eyes. »

- 2. Époisse “For me, it embodies all the added value of the cheese tradition with a lot of ripening work. It is a cheese for connoisseurs which deserves perfect ripening. I like this cheese which is not consensual but very identity on the contrary. And behind its power on the nose and on the first palate, a real complexity. I also find its smooth texture very comforting. »

- 3. The old county “It is the cheese that concentrates all the know-how of refining. I prefer the summer county because the milk harvested is fattier and allows me to push the ripening process even further up to 42 months without any problem. We go far to seek aromatic complexity. And what a pleasure to feel the crunchiness of the little grains which have nothing to do with salt as I often hear it but which are protein residues. »

- 4. Banon “It's an AOP from Provence, a goat's cheese matured in chestnut leaves which gives it that little taste of humus. It is also above all what will preserve all the moisture in the cheese, which becomes a goat cheese with a runny heart. And then there is a playful side to discovering the cheese under its leaves when serving it, it's a bit like opening a little gift..."

- 5. Bleu d'Héry-sur-Alby “It's an unknown and yet fantastic blue from Savoie. There is only one producer left working on it: Catherine Mermillod. It is a real “peasant” cheese which is similar to Roquefort without this salty side. In addition to a very nice balance, I even distinguish a touch of sweetness which I like and brings something unique to its rather oily texture and its moist and slightly runny substance on the sides. »

Relais & Châteaux Le Clos des Sens Annecy (Haute-Savoie) closdessens.com