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We are getting close to Mont d’Or cheese season again, so get ready to see it all over your feed. People talk about how they count down the days for this seasonal cheese to become available again. And yes, it’s that good. This recipe is my favorite way to eat it, baked Mont d’Or covered in a roasted garlic herb oil with white wine cooked into the gooey cheese. And of course, duck fat roasted potatoes on the side for dipping.
Table of Contents
- Vacherin Mont d’Or Cheese
- What does it taste like?
- Why is it seasonal?
- When is Mont d’Or available?
- How do I buy it?
- How do you eat it?
- Are there any Mont d’Or substitutes?
- Duck Fat Roasted Potatoes
- How to Serve
- Want to save this recipe?
- TLDR; Key Takeaways
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Baked Mont d’Or with Garlic and Duck Fat Roasted Potatoes Recipe
Vacherin Mont d’Or Cheese
Vacherin Mont d’Or is a seasonal soft cow’s milk cheese from the Jura, the mountains that sit right on the French and Swiss border. Each wheel comes in a spruce bark case. That case not only helps keep the cheese together, it is also what it is ripened in and part of what gives it such a unique flavor. There is a reason people count down the days for it to become available again.
What does it taste like?
Mont d’Or cheese isn’t like any cheese you’ve ever tried before. It does smell kind of funky, but the taste will blow your mind. It’s rich, buttery, earthy, and slightly sweet. At room-temperature, the texture is almost like a custard. It’s great to eat plain, but baked…it’s unreal. This recipe tops it with roasted garlic, herbs, and wine. Then it bakes it, letting all those amazing flavors melt into the cheese, turning it into a mini-fondue. It will be one of the most amazing things you’ve ever tasted.
Why is it seasonal?
The difference between Mont d’Or and other cheeses is the milk they use. During the warm months, the herd grazes high up on the mountain pasture and produces a lot of milk that’s lighter and leaner. Once the snow comes, production slows way down, and that smaller amount of milk is far richer and fattier. That richness is what makes Vacherin Mont d’Or so buttery and luxurious.
When is Mont d’Or available?
The official production season is August 15 to March 15. When it is available to purchase depends on where you live, but for the United States, here is when to start looking.
- Start looking in stores: October–November
- Online pre-orders: September
- Available online: October–April
How do I buy it?
Buying Local: This isn’t something your regular grocery store will carry. Local high-end cheese shops and upscale grocers are where you need to be looking. You can call your cheese counter or gourmet grocer, ask when it’s arriving and if they can put one on hold.
Buying Online: I recommend Murray’s Cheese. You can sign up for an email alert as soon as it is available.
How do you eat it?
This cheese isn’t meant to be taken out of its spruce case. The rind is edible, but if you are eating it raw, it’s a bit chewy. A lot of people like to just peel it back to get to the luxurious cheese inside. Baked is different, it blends into the warm melted cheese and it’s amazing.
Are there any Mont d’Or substitutes?
Mont d’Or is only around part of the year. This roasted garlic and herb oil topped with white wine is a great recipe on any rind cheese. Brie, brillat savarin, or camembert all work if you do a couple extra steps. Peel off any plastic, wrap the cheese in parchment, and add it to a small oven-safe dish or ramekin that fits it best. Then follow the rest of the recipe like regular and enjoy dipping the amazing duck fat roasted potatoes.
Duck Fat Roasted Potatoes
Duck fat makes these potatoes. It adds a rich and savory flavor that oil just can’t replicate. And the crunch….duck fat gives these roasted potatoes an incredibly thick and golden crust while the inside stays nice and fluffy. These are the perfect vessel to drag through that melted cheese. Here are some tips on how to get that perfect crunch:
Boil Them in Baking Soda: A little baking soda in the boiling water is the best trick for any roasted potatoes you’re making. It makes the water alkaline, which breaks down the surface of the potatoes and roughs it into a thin starchy coating. That rough surface is what crisps and turns golden in the oven.
Dry Them Out: After they drain, let them steam off in the strainer for a few minutes. If you have water on the surface the potatoes will steam in the oven, and not crisp nearly as well.
Toss Hard: Once the duck fat and seasoning go on, toss them roughly. Roughing them up gives you that crunch.
Heat the Pan First: The sheet pan goes in the oven to get hot. When you add that duck fat and potatoes, they already have a head start.
Give Them Room: Spread them in a single layer with space between each one. This really helps each one to develop a great crust all the way around.
How to Serve
Mont d’Or is a cold-weather cheese that comes back into season right around the holidays. That’s why this baked version is so popular for Christmas dinner. Pour everyone a grapefruit elderflower sour while it bakes, then set it out with the duck fat potatoes to dip into as people arrive. For the main, I go with a slow roasted prime rib, a pomme purée, and an arugula fennel salad. Finish with a pistachio crème brûlée.
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TLDR; Key Takeaways
Vacherin Mont d’Or Cheese: It is only available for part of the year, so it’s a catch-it-while-you-can cheese. Availability depends on where you live, these dates are for the US.
- Start looking in stores: October–November
- Online pre-orders: September
- Available online: October–April
- The rind is edible. But if you are eating it raw it is a bit chewy. A lot of people like to remove the top so they can dive into the custardy middle.
- If you follow this recipe and bake it, the whole wheel stays right in its spruce box. The entire wheel, including the rind, turns into a melty fondue.
- Out of season swaps: Brie, brillat savarin, or camembert, baked in a parchment-lined dish.
Duck Fat Roasted Potatoes: All the tips you need.
- Boil in baking soda.
- Dry them out and toss them hard.
- Heat your pan and then give them room.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the rind is edible. Eaten raw it’s a little chewy, so some people peel it back and spoon out the middle. But once you bake it, the rind softens into the melted cheese and you eat the whole thing.
Yes. The cheese stays in its spruce box the whole time. Take off any plastic wrapper first, then the box goes straight in the oven and holds the cheese together while the center melts down.
A dry white. You only need a couple of tablespoons poured over the top before it bakes, and it cooks into the cheese as the center melts. Anything dry works, a Jura white if you want to stay regional, or a chardonnay, pinot gris, or sauvignon.
I serve mine with the duck fat roasted potatoes for dipping. The classic table also has crusty bread, cornichons, and a little charcuterie. Anything that is sturdy enough to drag through the melted center works
No, bake it right before you serve it. It’s perfectly melty straight from the oven but it firms back up as it cools.
Equipment
- Large Pot
- strainer or colander
- rimmed stainless steel sheet pan
- small bowl
- oven
Ingredients
Duck Fat Potatoes
- kosher salt, to taste
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 4 yukon gold potatoes, cut into wedges
- 1/4 cup duck fat
- 1/2 tsp chipotle powder
- smoked paprika, to taste
Baked Mont d’Or
- 1 head garlic
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus a little to roast the garlic
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 tsp herbs de provence
- 3 tbsp chives, chopped, plus more for topping
- 2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 sprig thyme, leaves only
- 1 wheel Vacherin Mont D'or
- 2 tbsp dry white wine
- honey, for drizzling
Instructions
- Heat the Oven: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a stainless steel sheet pan inside.
- Boil the Potatoes: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and the baking soda. Add the potatoes and boil for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Season the Potatoes: Drain the potatoes and let them steam dry in the strainer for a few minutes. Add most of the duck fat, reserving a little for the pan, then add the chipotle powder, smoked paprika, and salt to taste. Toss vigorously until fully coated.
- Roast the Potatoes: Add the reserved duck fat to the hot sheet pan and arrange the potatoes in a single layer. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, flip, then roast another 10 to 20 minutes until crisp and deep golden.
- Roast the Garlic: Cut about 1/4 inch off the top of the garlic head to expose the cloves. Drizzle with olive oil, add a pinch of salt, and wrap in foil. Roast alongside the potatoes for about 30 minutes, until the cloves are soft and golden. Let cool, then squeeze the cloves from their skins.
- Make the Herb Oil: Mix the roasted garlic, lemon zest, herbs de provence, chives, rosemary, and thyme with the olive oil.
- Prep the Cheese: Remove any plastic wrapper from the mont d’or and keep the cheese in its wooden crate. Cut several slits into the top and press the herb oil into them. Pour the white wine over the top.
- Bake the Cheese: Bake the mont d’or at 425°F (220°C) for 15 to 25 minutes, until the center is very gooey.
- Finish: Drizzle the cheese with honey and top with chives. Serve with the roasted potatoes for dipping.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
