Cervelle de Canut
“Where love sets the table food tastes at its best.”
Meaning silk weavers' brains, Cervelle de Canut is a dish that you will find in many shops, bistros, brasseries, restaurants, and home kitchens all over Lyon. A simple cheese cream using many herbs, some onion, and garlic, either paired with fresh bread or boiled potatoes. I ought to confess I love it better with fried potatoes.
250 g fromage frais - 220 strained
20 g grated shallot, grated
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tbsp around 6 g chives, finely chopped
1 tbsp around 5 g tarragon, finely chopped
2 tbsp or 10 g parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp crème fraîche
1 tbsp oil or butter ( I like to use caramelised butter
sea salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
Place a sieve over a bowl. If you have a cotton cloth, lay it on the sieve. If not, and the sieve has a very fine texture, use it as it is. Pour in Fromage frais and let it stand for 30 minutes or even an hour or longer. If you do leave it for longer, place it in the fridge.
When ready to make Cervelle de Canut, mix strained fromage frais with shallots, garlic, chives, tarragon, parsley, and crème fraîche. Add oil or butter, salt, and pepper, and mix, adjusting the saltiness to your liking. You can use it right away or leave in the fridge for the flavours to marry.