Essex St. hand selected – Marcel Petite Comté
If I had to pick a desert island cheese, hands down, it’s Marcel Petite Comté. Not only does it have complex nuanced flavors, it’s so versatile! I’ve melted it over a cauliflower gratin, layered thin slices between sourdough bread and butter for grilled cheese, shredded it over scrambled eggs, and nibbled on it while standing in front of the fridge contemplating what to make for dinner. Here’s a list of reasons why this Comté should be your everything cheese.
Why Comté?
>>It’s not Gruyère. Yes, they’re similar in size and shape but Comté is made in France, specifically the beautiful Jura Mountains.
>>Comté is more subtle in flavor than its Swiss counterpart. Flavors of bread, roasted walnuts, and slight fruitiness are more prevalent.
>>Like Gruyère, it is name protected and was granted the Appellation d’Origine Contrólée status in 1958.
>>There’s a specific grading system for Comté. The top tier gets a green band label (like Marcel Petite Comté), second tier a brown band. If the cheese scores lower than 12 out of 20, it’s prohibited from using the Comté name!
What makes this Comté so special?
>>Marcel Petite Comté is aged in Fort St. Antoine, a former garrison converted into an aging cave.
>>It goes through two stages of selection. After the initial cheese is produced by the fruitières, creameries that are specific to the Jura region and the Alps; it is then aged for 3 to 4 months before the masters at Marcel Petite select the batches that are deemed worthy of aging.
>>The second stage of selection is by Essex St. founder Jason Hinds and his partner Dominic Coyte of Borough Cheese Company. They visit the Fort every 5 weeks to select batches based on their desired flavor profile.
>>This batch’s flavor profile: dried figs and apricots, dry unroasted almonds with rich yeasty flavors of freshly floured ciabatta crust, lactic flavors of yogurt and whey.
Who is Essex St. Cheese?
>>Essex St. Cheese is an importer whose goal is to find the truest representation of iconic cheeses like Comté of course, but also Gouda, Manchego, Parmigiano, and Feta.
Available in stock
FR1320 Comté Marcel Petite – Selected by Essex AOC – 1/75lbs
FR1320Q Comté Marcel Petite 1/4 wheels – Selected by Essex AOC – 1/18 lbs
