Recipe: Oven-roasted Vacherin Mont d'Or cheese

This is winter cheese at its best. Made from rich winter milk, Mont d'Or is matured under the protection of a spruce bark rim and is already soft and spoonable. The oven takes it even further: the cheese melts, becomes woody, salty and slightly sweet... the perfect treat for the wee hours of winter.

ROASTED VACHERIN MONT D'OR

For 2 people (or one, if we're being honest):

1 ripe Vacherin Mont d'Or in a wooden box
1-2 garlic cloves
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Black pepper

Optional: a few sprigs of rosemary or thyme and a splash of dry white wine

Guide:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Remove the cheese from the plastic wrap, but leave it in the wooden box. Lightly score the surface with the tip of a knife.
3. Peel and slice the garlic into thin slices and carefully slide them into the cheese. Add herbs if desired and press them lightly onto the surface.
4. Drizzle a little olive oil on top. If you're using wine, add a few drops - no more. This is for flavor, not soup. Finish with black pepper.
5. Wrap the cheese in baking paper, place on a baking sheet and bake for about 20-25 minutes. The center of the cheese will rise and the surface will give way to light pressure. If bubbles start to form around the edges, you are just right.

Serving:

Serve hot Mont d'Or straight from the box. You can use the box lid as a convenient serving plate! Tear the bread - don't cut it - and dip it in the melted cheese. Enjoy.

A quick reminder: Mont d'Or waits for no one. Only bake it when your guests are ready, the table is set, and you have the next half hour free.