The ultimate guide to fruit and cheese pairings

As an aperitif, at the end of a meal, or the star ingredient of certain great French specialities, cheese holds an exceptional place on our plates.

To sublimate it, the fruits remain important allies.

Whether it's making the perfect cheese board or simply experimenting with new combinations of flavors, we're full of inspiration with Damien Richardot, founder of the restaurant-cheesemonger Monbleu in Paris, and the primeur MOF Maxime Lafranceschina, at the head of the Halles Charly, near Grenoble.

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In video, how to prepare the ideal cheese platter

Cheese and fruit, the reasons for an agreement

“Cheese is a salty and fatty product.

That's why it's good!” enthuses Damien Richardot.

If it is sufficient in itself, when one wishes to create a marriage with cheese, “we must favor softness, freshness and sweetness”, recommends the professional.

Taste qualities that are easily attributed to fruit.

In the eyes of the primeur MOF Maxime Lafranceschina, these have several roles: “It is understood, the work of the cheesemaker is sufficient.

On the other hand, fruit and cheese combinations make it possible to obtain a greater aromatic palette”.

And that's not all, these agreements also allow not to saturate the palate.

"Eating something juicy and fresh helps to rinse your taste buds," says the MOF.

Fruits also promote play on textures:

Goat cheeses

“Right now, you really shouldn’t miss the goat cheeses.”

In logs, pyramids, manure or pucks, they will be on all the cheese boards until the end of autumn.

To magnify them, Damien Richardot relies on tradition.

“It's a great classic, of course, but it's an unmissable one: fresh goat cheese and figs”.

Fleshy fruit with a sweet taste, the Solliès fig, "the best in France", knows how to sublimate the creamy and crumbly textures of goat's cheese.

For his part, Maxime Lafranceschina recommends golden greengage plums: “You can prepare a small compote but, be careful, they already contain 17% sugar, no need to add any.

Associating too much sugar and sweetness with a cheese risks reducing its aromas”.

The apricot is also one of the great chosen ones,

according to the premiere.

“It's a fruit that goes very well with goat cheese because it's soft, but it's made up of a tart-tasting skin.

Melon also works very well, thanks to its freshness.”

In video, Swiss cheese, the taste for sharing (traditions)

Read alsoHow to make the ideal cheese platter?

Blue-veined pasta

Bleu d'Auvergne, gorgonzola, bleu des Causses... You will have recognized them, we are talking about the family of blue-veined pasta.

“Like washed crusts, they are characterized by great intensity.

Although they are less strong in character, they stand out for their very salty nature.

In order to balance this vivacity, this "spicy" side that is specific to them, sweet fruits appear as an ally of choice.

“The objective is not to simply opt for a sweet fruit, it is the sweetness that we are looking for.

If the pear is an ideal possibility, it is necessary to wait for its season, at the end of September, at the beginning of October”, explains Damien Richardot.

Still in the category of sweet fruits, “quince works very well”, assures Maxime Lafranceschina, “on the other hand, be careful, it is not eaten raw.

We make jam out of it."

The trick to pairing fruit and cheese: the seasonal combination

Before embarking on the world of associations, one major rule is essential: respect for the seasons.

"We must not only honor the fruit season, but also that of cheese", assures Damien Richardot.

An essential rule which, in truth, facilitates marriages.

"It's a great benchmark.

For example, at the end of summer, the fresh goat season is still in full swing.

We will certainly not associate them with a pear or an apple.

Soft cheeses with a bloomy rind

Creamy, fondant, with the good taste of milk.

We are talking about cheeses with flowery pasta.

“One thing to know is that in summer, cheeses with a bloomy rind will be much creamier and of a more pronounced color because they will be made from spring milk which is higher in carotene”, explains Damien Richardot. .

To accompany Brillat-Savarin, Camembert or Brie, the restaurateur opts for Muscat grapes, a grape variety known for its slightly musky aromas.

In Grenoble, hometown of Maxime Lafranceschina, it is customary to garnish cheeses with bloomy rinds with nuts.

“Due to the supple, creamy and oily texture of cheese, avoid very soft or soft fruit and focus on texture.”

In video, a nativity scene entirely reconstituted in cheese

The recipe for cheese stuffed with the mendiant mixture by Maxime Lafrenceschina

• Select a bloomy cheese,

• In a salad bowl, mix with a little mascarpone a beggar mixture (walnuts, almonds, raisins, pistachios, cashew nuts),

• Split the cheese in half lengthwise and add the beggar/mascarpone mixture between the two parts of the cheese,

• Gather the cheese, wrap it in film and let it mature.

It is possible to make a truffled cheese with this same technique.

Soft cheese and washed rind

Fruits to avoid with cheese

Citrus fruits.

With their acidity and juice in abundance, these fruits do not go well with cheeses, provided they are in marmalade or jam.

Munster, Livarot, Langres... "We have to deal with cheeses with a lot of character", warns Damien Richardot.

To counterbalance their power, it is once again necessary to favor sweet fruits.

Thus, we opt for the mirabelle plum from Lorraine, “in season until September”.

For his part, Maxime Lafranceschina leans towards exoticism: “The lychee works very well”.

Indeed, its aromas of rose and muscat are perfect for finding the ideal balance.

"Furthermore, from a taste point of view, this pairing is reminiscent of the food and wine pairing between Munster and Gewurztraminer."

An agreement that has proven itself.

Cooked pressed pasta

With regard to cooked pressed cheeses such as Beaufort, Comté or Tomme, the two experts agree: particular attention must be paid to the date of manufacture of the cheese.

The MOF explains: “The month of cheese production gives us an indication of the quality of the milk.

In May, the cows are outside and feed on fresh grass and flowers.

We will therefore obtain a cheese with a more complex and greater aromatic palette”.

In terms of flavor combinations, “a very classic pairing that works wonderfully is that of cooked pressed cheese and green apple,” observes Damien Richardot.

In addition to being original, exotic fruits are also a possible option: "The tartness of pineapple goes very well with the power of

a Beaufort while the Laguiole harmonizes nicely with the mango", explains Maxime Lafranceschina.

Bold pairings to try on the next cheese platter.