Recipe for baked Saint-Marcellin Cheese

Saint-Marcellin is a small, soft cheese from the Rhône-Alps region of France. Weighing about 80g, it has velvety, creamy texture and a delicate nutty flavour. It can be eaten on its own, or heated up for a gooey consistency like Camembert says Tracy Valentina-Wood, whose recipe for baked Saint-Marcellin Cheese is absolutely delicious!

Recipe for Baked Saint-Marcellin Cheese

Serves 6

6 Saint-Marcellin cheeses at room temperature (As a substitute use small goat cheese, or small Camembert)
6 slices Prosciutto or Jambon Cru (optional)*
Several sprigs fresh thyme
Extra virgin olive oil
Toasted breadcrumbs, about 1 cup (150g/8 oz)

Note: For the breadcrumbs you’ll need day old decent bread (half a loaf), and a small handful of fresh thyme.

Method

Remove the crusts from the bread for finer breadcrumbs. Tear the bread into small pieces and strip the thyme leaves from the woody stems, then put process in a processor to make small crumbs but – leave some texture. Tip out onto a baking sheet and place on a low shelf in the oven at 130C/150F/gas mark 1-2, for about 30 minutes, or until the crumbs have dried. Remove and let them cool. You can store them in the freezer for up to a month.

Take two shallow bowls, pour olive oil into one of about a depth of 1cm, and breadcrumbs in the other. Dip each cheese into the olive oil, making sure the entire surface of each is coated with oil, then immediately into the crumbs, again being sure to coat the entire surface.

Place into an ovenproof dish leaving space between each, place a sprig of thyme on top of each cheese, drizzle with olive oil and bake at 190C/380F/gas mark 4 for around 10 minutes, when the cheeses should just start to ooze. Serve immediately – delicious with a crusty baguette and a green salad.

*For extra flavour, wrap with Prosciutto or Jambon Cru after you’ve dipped the cheese in the breadcrumbs, drizzle with olive oil and top with a sprig of thyme. Bake as above.

Tracy Valentina Wood is a food stylist based in Sydney whose work encompasses social media, editorial, print, video, and television. Her clients include global giants as well as small local producers – and pretty much everything in between, including several seasons as chef de cuisine at the Chateau de Gudanes in southwest France. You can find more of her delicious recipes at: tracyvalentinawood.com

Want more France?

Discover more fabulous destinations in France with our free magazine The Good Life France

Love France? Have a listen to our podcast – everything you want to know about France and more!

All rights reserved. This article may not be published, broadcast, rewritten (including translated) or redistributed without written permission

The post Recipe for baked Saint-Marcellin Cheese appeared first on The Good Life France.