Each season I experiment with different cheeses to pair with black truffles, and one Christmas I purchased a fragrant Coulommiers cheese from Marie Quatrehomme in Paris. She had sliced the soft-ripened cow’s milk cheese in half and topped each half with mascarpone and a showering of dried cèpe powder. The Coulommiers itself was so ripe, we savored it by simply scooping up servings with a spoon. Coulommiers comes from the Île-de-France village of the same name and is a lesser-known cousin of Brie. It is smaller and thicker than Brie, with a pronounced aroma and flavor of toasted nuts and mushrooms, making it a perfect match for wild mushrooms. The cheese is made with either raw or pasteurized milk, can be either fermier, artisanal, or industriel, weighs about 1 pound (500 g), measures about 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter, and is about 1-1/2 inches (3 cm) high. It can be aged from 3 to 8 weeks. Slice it in half and slather it with fragrant truffle crème fraîche or thick cream flavored with minced dried morels.
12 SERVINGS
EQUIPMENT: Unflavored dental floss or a very sharp knife.
1 Coulommiers cow’s milk cheese (a little more than 1 pound/650 g), well chilled (or substitute Camembert)
1 tablespoon mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons dried Cèpe Mushroom Powder
1. With the dental floss or very sharp knife, carefully slice the cheese horizontally into two even disks, like a layer cake. Spread a thin layer of mascarpone cheese on the cut side of each half. Shower with the mushroom powder. Reconstruct the cheese by putting the two halves together again. Wrap it securely in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours to infuse the cheese with the mushroom powder.
2. To serve, let the cheese come to room temperature. Unwrap and place it on a cheese tray. Cut into thin wedges.
MAKE-AHEAD NOTE: Store, securely wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.