Ranking of the 5 best cheeses according to chef Christophe Bacquié

Christophe Bacquié, the 3-star chef of the Hôtel du Castellet, was the first to offer a cheese cellar in the heart of his restaurant.

If Christophe Bacquié inaugurates his guest house next spring by holding a single table there, he was the first in 2015 to install a cheese cellar in the heart of his starred restaurant in Le Castellet. More than a piece, he has imagined a universe of 70 to 80 cheeses to surprise the customer and push the experience a little further.

“I wanted everyone to let themselves be won over by the magic of the place and the added value of the service which found all its nobility there. My maitre d' was passionate about explaining the exceptional quality of each cheese, its story, the people behind it... and I liked the idea that the guest would come back to the table alone with his plate and that it would be completely different. for each. »

- 1. The manigodine “It's a real discovery for me that I made in a region that I adore, Haute-Savoie. It is a raw cow's milk cheese very similar to Reblochon but almost the thickness of a tomme . It's quite mild – I don't like strong cheeses – but very fragrant with hints of hay and slightly woody no doubt due to its spruce surround. It is sweet in the mouth. I enjoy eating the manigodine without anything even without bread.

- 2. Brocciu “It goes without saying that it is to be enjoyed in season. The last fresh brocciu can be found around the end of May. A good brocciu is the one you taste within two days of its production, you then have all of Corsica in your mouth! Goat or sheep each to their own tastes. I like both with a little sugar and honey in the simplest way. But it goes just as well with fatty fish like sardines. As a starter, it's excellent with a little nepeta (Corsican aromatic herb), parsley, mint or Swiss chard. Some stuff it into potatoes or an onion. »

- 3. Parmesan “I like this cheese for its diversity already. Depending on the maturing times and the terroir (those from mountain pastures are fantastic), the tastes and textures make it a completely different cheese. And the length in the mouth is no longer the same. In the frying pan, I make small laces of it that I add cumin to and I serve it as an aperitif. In the restaurant, we grated it raw in front of the customers on asparagus accompanied by a sabayon with olive oil and lemon that I served with raw ham from Corsica.

- 4. La brousse du Rove “This is a local cheese which takes its name from the Rove goats, which can be recognized by their long horns. I buy it from Luc Falco, the only producer on the subject who is held a few minutes from the hotel. It is a cheese which has the texture of a conical flan and which requires seasoning work. That's what I like as a cook. It is eaten raw or worked as a dessert. I like to drizzle it with a simple drizzle of olive oil and fleur de sel. Or serve it with freshly made strawberry jam. »

- 5. Goat's cheeses from Provence “I want to talk about it as a whole because there is such a diversity of terroirs here! From Luberon to Mont Ventoux from Queyras to Bouches-du-Rhône, the biodiversity is incredible. Between the soft cheeses, the pressed cheeses, the maturing times and the seasons… I've never gone around them. Some are flavored with thyme others with rosemary. The Paca region is very marked in terms of cheeses, we forget it. »

Relais & Château Hotel du Castellet Le Castellet (Var) hotelducastellet.net