Featured Cheese of The Week: Florette

5/28/2012

This week, we’re putting the spotlight on a luscious French goat’s milk cheese which sometimes gets lost in the crowd, despite its incomparable ooey gooey goodness.  Florette, a pasteurized “goat brie” made by Fromagerie Guilloteau in France, is Brie-like in that it is soft-ripened with a bloomy white rind, but thanks to a special additional step called “ultrafiltration”, the interior is unctuous and spreadable.  Ultrafiltration removes some of the water from the goat’s milk before it is converted into curds and breaks down the milk fat into small globules, resulting in smoother curds- and thus a consistently gooey, rich paste- and purportedly also retains more of the milk’s nutrients and proteins.  The edible rind holding in the creamy center is supple and velvety.  In terms of flavor, this cheese is mild, sweet, and a little herbal, with only a hint of “goatiness”.   Florette is beautiful spread on a French country bread or baguette, warmed over mushrooms or potatoes, enjoyed alongside fresh or dried fruit, or paired with sparkling wines or light, fruity ales.