Laura Chenel Goat Brie

 

 

According to the Laura Chenel website, their 5-ounce creamy Brie is "an American twist on the traditional French cow's milk cheese." If one wants to get technical, no cheese outside of the region of Brie in France can be considered a true Brie, however, many cheeses are produced in a similar fashion resulting in a soft-ripened cheese with a white rind and a distinctive mushtoomy flavor. Brie-like goat cheeses have a long history in France. In fact, one of the more notable imported French goat Brie cheeses is Florette, a Brie-style cheese by Fromagerie Guilloteau, known for its extra smooth interior due to the ultrafiltration of the pasteurized goat mild before the curds are separated from the whey. This extra step does two things: 1. it removes some water from the milk. And 2. it causes clusters of fat to break down into smaller globules, which, in turn, leads to a smoother overall texture. Laura Chennel, touted as "America's first commercial producer of goat cheese," has certainly created a likable petite goat Brie, but I struggle to find the unique Brie flavor through the strong tang of the goat milk. The lovely aroma is there, though, and, for anyone considering it, I wouldn't pass up an opportunity to sample this aged goat cheese if offered.

While many goat Brie cheeses are milder in flavor than a ripe cow's milk Brie, this is not the case with the Laura Chenel version. In fact, the tang of the goat milk slightly overpowers the mushroom flavor, but there's a wonderful, subtle nutty flavor that's apparent if you let the paste linger on your tongue. As is the case with most soft-ripened goat cheeses, this adorable Brie-like product is firmer than its cow-milk counterpart. Inside the very thin bloomy rind is a smooth paste that's creamy and satisfying and slightly rubbery but not in a bad way. Overall, it's a nice texture. There are a noticeable salty flavor and a slight twist of lemon that's barely detectable but still uplifts this little cheese and gives it a general lightness. It might be a bit much for some, but I love the powerful goaty tang that surprises the taste buds. Despite the strong goaty notes, the finish is clean without any long lingering pungency. 

A notable difference between Brie and other soft-ripened cheeses in the United States is that the Brie in France is relatively young and is made with raw cow's milk. US laws require any raw-milk cheeses to be aged at least 60 days, nearly double the aging time of French Brie. To bypass the aging requirements, imported Brie from France or elsewhere often begins with pasteurized milk instead of raw milk, which changes the flavor. According to the Laura Chenel website, all of their cheeses are made with fresh pasteurized milk in beautiful Sonoma County in California where the creamery is located. Vegetarians will be happy to know that the rennet used is not animal-based. Because Laura Chenel uses pasteurized milk, the cheese doesn't have to be aged longer than usual, and, for this product, in particular, the process is 9-14 days.

If you've ever been curious about why goat's milk cheeses, especially fresh chevre, are beautifully snow-white, it's because goats have the unique ability to convert carotene found in the grasses and hay they eat into colorless vitamin A or retinol. Cows, on the other hand, have a low-enzyme activity for this kind of conversion and end up storing the carotene in their fat. The result of the fat globules that end up in milk, interestingly enough, is that the protein and membranes around the fat shield the color from view, making the milk look white. During the cheese-making process, though, the fat membranes dissolve and the protein clusters disperse or loosen, and the color, usually yellow or gray, is then exposed. AH HA! Orange cheese is another story and is most often colored with added anatto. 

 

It's no surprise that the Laura Chenel company has won many awards. Just this goat Brie alone has placed first or come in runner up in at least four major events. According to the Laura Chenel website, Laura Chenel's foray into cheese making began in the following way:

After spending 10 years working and studying in Europe, New York and the San Francisco Bay Area, Laura Chenel returned home to Sonoma County, undecided about her life’s direction. She was eager to return to the land so that she could be self-sufficient. As she was particularly concerned about eating and cooking healthy, natural foods, and having always been intrigued by goats, she decided to buy her first goats. As the herd continued to grow, Laura became attached to them. As the quantity of milk increased, she felt responsible for the milk and wanted to transform it into something that would pay tribute to its makers; therefore, she found herself drawn to cheese-making.

Like other bloomy rind cheeses, this fun little find is best served on crusty French bread, crackers, or eaten with fresh or dry fruit. It can be used in both hot or cold sandwiches or in pasta dishes. It can also be prepared in a pastry crust with caramelized onions, apricot jam, or chopped toasted pecans on top. 

Goat Bries in general pair well with white wines such as Sauvignon blanc, Chablis, pinot grigio, or Cotes de Gascognelavor. Because of the tanginess of this cheese, I would add a Beaujolais to this list, and if you're a beer lover, try it with a Belgian-style ale.

Get ready for more soft-ripened cheese reviews. I'm on a roll and have a few on the menu, so stay tuned! 

Red Hawk

Red Hawk cheese is the legitimate (it plays too much by the rules to be illegitimate) lovechild of a triple-cream Brie and Taleggio. In the same way a pony is not quite a horse but everyone knows they are both in the equine family, Red Hawk is technically a washed-rind cheese. It's just a very mild wash rind, a less hardcore stinky cheese. It's like when Metallica decided to throw everyone a curve ball and release Nothing Else Matters. Is it heavy metal if it's soft? Possibly not, but everyone still loved the song. Such is the case with Red Hawk. It doesn't quite fit in with traditional heavy-hitting washed-rind cheeses, but it's a fun little cheese that people can't resist.

Cowgirl Creamery is responsible for making and aging Red Hawk and several other cheeses. One thing to note is that the Cowgirl Creamery cheeses are Marin Organic Certified. It's not surprising that Red Hawk won Best-In-Show in 2003 at the American Cheese Society's annual conference. It also nabbed a 2nd place award in the Best-In-Show category six years later. Those aren't the only awards this stellar cheese has won, though. It took gold at the 2014 and 2013 State Fair and secured a second place at the American Cheese Society in 2012. Be sure to check out the entire "about us" section on the Cowgirl Creamery website. You will learn not only about Red Hawk and its many awards but about how the company started and even how cheese is made. It's worth it to explore each category, from the cheeses to the recipes.

What struck me most about Red Hawk is the fresh smell that rose up when I opened the package. It was almost like sticking my nose into a container of beautifully prepared cottage cheese, buttermilky and mild with just a hint of yeasty stink if you get your nose up close. This is the perfect cheese to use if you want to introduce someone to the world of washed-rind cheeses but don't want to traumatize anyone. This wash rind is sticky to the touch but not so much that it gets embedded and lingers on your fingers the entire day, though the smell will stick with you somewhat.

Everything is mild with this cheese. Even the color isn't as robust an orange as most other washed-rind cheeses. It's pale with just a hint of an orange hue.

The interior is a paste you can cut into, not something you want to eat with a spoon like Epoisse; it's a semi-firm consistency. Despite a bit of a funky aroma, the flavor is mild with hints of milk and cashews. An unexpected, slightly sweet, fruity tang that's reminiscent of a goat milk cheese hits your palate as an afterthought. It makes this little treasure intriguing and more complex that the traditional mild, nutty-flavored wash rinds. Heated, the flavor evens out nicely. Can you imagine this in a mac and cheese dish? Swoon! I love this kind of cheese with corn chips or crackers with some texture, but it pairs well with a crusty baguette, of course. Try it with quince paste or serve it with slices of tart apples for dessert.

Red Hawk cheese, side and rind view.

Red Hawk cheese up close. Too bad the aroma can't be sensed in this image.

As far as the details, they are as follows:

Farm / Company: Cowgirl Creamery

Cheesemaker: Point Reyes Team

Proprietor: Sue Conley & Peggy Smith

Affineur:

City, State: Pt Reyes Station, CA

Region: West

Country: USA

Milk Type: Cow

Milk Treatment: Pasteurized

Rennet: Vegetarian  (Vegetarians rejoice!) 

Rind: Washed

Texture: Soft

Aging: 4 weeks

For wine pairings, I suggest Chardonnay, Torrontes, Pinot Blanc or Chenin Blanc for the white wines. A Tempranillo Blends, Sangiovese, Malbec or Lagrein would do well, too. For dessert, try either a Jurancon dessert wine or a Blanc de Noir sparkling wine.