Cheese ambrosia! Chef Jacques Pépin shares a favorite family appetizer

Author and Master Chef Jacques Pépin and his daughter Claudine show us their family French recipe of fromage fort, meaning “strong cheese” in English. This creative appetizer utilizes all of the random small pieces of cheese that you may have stashed in your fridge! Use camembert, swiss cheese, goat cheese, brie, or whatever you happen to have available. Combined with white wine, garlic, and pepper, the end result is a warm cheese blend that may be served on baguette toast or crackers for a heavenly appetizer or snack.

Watch the video for the details, and visit the Food and Wine Magazine site for more delicious recipes.

Fromage Fort
Chef Jacques Pepin

1/2 pound cheese pieces
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup dry white wine
Black pepper
Salt

Put 1/2 pound of cheese pieces in the bowl of a food processor, add 1 garlic clove, about 1/4 cup of dry white wine and a big grinding of black pepper. Salt is usually not needed, but taste the mixture and add some if it is. Process for about 30 seconds, until the mixture is creamy but not too soft, and then pack it into small containers. The fromage fort is now ready to use. You may serve it cold or spread on bread and broiled for a few minutes. Broiling will brown the cheese and make it wonderfully fragrant.