5 Ingredients or Fewer

Jacques Pépin's Fromage Fort

by:
November 23, 2016
5
6 Ratings
Jacques Pépin's Fromage Fort
Photo by James Ransom
  • Makes enough for about 50 pieces of toast
Author Notes

This process is almost embarrassingly simple—put cheese in a food processor with wine, a garlic clove, and black pepper; blend. But you do need to cue up your common sense. If there are any rinds that look waxen or suspect (or taste too funky for you), scrape them off. And while a whole wheel of molten Camembert could whip right in, no problem, any harder, aged cheeses like Parmesan should be chopped or grated first. You’ll know. Adapted slightly from the New York Times. —Genius Recipes

Test Kitchen Notes

This recipe is perfect to have on hand during the holidays, whether you're hosting a cocktail party, looking for a quick hors d'oeuvres, or heading to a potluck. Using a hand blender, like the Braun MultiQuick 9, to whip up this dip makes it come together fast, whether you're rushing to feed guests or rushing out the door. —The Editors

What You'll Need
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Jacques Pépin's Fromage Fort
Ingredients
  • 3 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 pound leftover pieces of cheese, a combination of as many hard and soft varieties as you desire (like Brie, cheddar, Swiss, bleu, mozzarella or goat), trimmed to remove surface dryness and mold (see notes)
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine or vegetable broth or a mixture of both
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Salt, if needed
Directions
  1. Place the peeled garlic in the bowl of a food processor and process for a few seconds, until coarsely chopped. Add the cheese, white wine (or broth), pepper, and salt (if needed) and process for 30 to 45 seconds, until the mixture is soft and creamy but not too smooth. Place in a crock, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
  2. Notes: If you use only unsalted cheese or a large amount of unsalted farmer's cheese, for example, you may want to add a little salt. Usually, cheese is salty enough so additional salt is not necessary.
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Genius Recipes

Recipe by: Genius Recipes

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20 Reviews

JacquesPeptalk
JacquesPeptalk September 20, 2019
I made this for a dinner party with friends from Texas, and they called it Fraaanch Queso... which I guess isn’t incorrect? Anyway, made it according to the recipe and it was perfect! Tossed it under the broiler for a minute to crisp up the top, and it was a molten delight!
 
Gail
Gail June 15, 2019
This is fabulous. What to do after a big dinner party and the cheese has been hacked into less than presentable condition.
 
Misfitwife
Misfitwife June 3, 2019
Wondering what roasted garlic would be like in this recipe?
 
monica
monica December 29, 2019
Raw garlic doesn't agree with me, so I always use roasted garlic for this recipe — it's great!
 
Joe C.
Joe C. January 31, 2018
I like to use Vermouth, because it won’t impart any additional flavors, any try different cheeses, because each will add such a wide variety of flavors ! And let’s face it anything that Jacques Pépin would make, it has to be Good, because he might very well be the Best Chef on the Planet ! If you ever get a chance,watch him prepare and cook, because you can learn from someone like him, he makes more in one televised segment than most chefs do today !
 
Gail
Gail June 15, 2019
I never thought of using Vermouth. Thank you!!
 
Linda M.
Linda M. November 23, 2017
how about dry vermouth instead of the wine...
 
Kristen M.
Kristen M. November 23, 2017
Absolutely!
 
Linda M.
Linda M. November 23, 2017
Thanks for the prompt reply Kristen!
 
Joe C.
Joe C. January 31, 2018
Excellent choice, I always keep dry vermouth on hand, won’t alter the flavors of any dish, that’s what Julia Child always recommended, for that very reason !
 
mudd
mudd December 18, 2019
Julia is why I always have dry (white) vermouth in the refrigerator. Great for making quick pan sauce, deglazing roast chicken pan.
 
mudd
mudd January 10, 2020
Certainly. A long time ago watching Julia Child she advised keeping a bottle of dry French vermouth in the refrigerator just in case you need or just like to add white wine to anything.
 
Ann
Ann December 15, 2016
Made this today with a trio of bleu, goat and cheddar cheeses. Used less of the bleu than the other two but still found it overpowering. Next time less of the mighty bleu. Since two of the cheeses were soft, I cut up the room-temp cheddar into small pieces, but still had a processing problem. I really had to almost over-process to fully integrate the cheddar with the bleu and goat cheeses. The result was more of a smooth, spreadable texture. What is the ideal texture here? Should it be coarse or smooth?
 
mudd
mudd December 18, 2019
More smooth than not, saw Jacques make it on tv. Process the harder cheddar some first than scrape down and add the softer Brie or blue or?
 
jstew52
jstew52 November 29, 2016
I've got leftover poaching liquid from Alon Shaya's cauliflower. That would be awesome here!
 
Risottogirl
Risottogirl March 5, 2018
off topic but use that to cook chickpeas. Wow. TDF!
 
Elizabeth C.
Elizabeth C. November 24, 2016
Can I use dry sherry if I don't have white wine? Right now all I've got is a dry riesling and I don't think that would produce the right results.
 
Kristen M.
Kristen M. November 28, 2016
Sorry I missed this, Elizabeth—did you try it with dry sherry? I think it would be lovely, just a different, stronger flavor.
 
Risottogirl
Risottogirl March 5, 2018
I would totally use the dry riesling... I have had fromage fort made by a friend's mom in Alsace and that is what she always uses. It was delish. This is one of those recipes that never tastes the same twice because of the variation in cheeses and/or wine. But really, all good, cheese and wine? Yum
 
HRH
HRH November 23, 2016
Frack! Yes, you want to make this. I used it as the base of a galette, and as a dip. It is ridiculously good.