Lyon city silk weavers brains.

The cervelle de canut is a cheese specialty from Lyon made of fromage blanc en faisselle (similar to cottage cheese) mixed with creme fraiche and fresh herbs, garlic and shallots. To finish it off, it is seasoned with salt, pepper, walnut oil and vinegar. In Lyon, this fresh-tasting spread is served as a snack on fresh or toasted bread, a perfect summer appetizer. Each version can vary slightly. For example, I added a small amount of fresh goat's cheese to this recipe.

Ingredients

• 200 g (7 oz) of fromage blanc or cottage cheese

• 50 g (1.8 oz) of fresh goat's cheese

• 100 ml (3.4 fl oz) of creme fraiche

• 2 tsp of finely chopped shallots

• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped

• 2 tsp of chopped parsley

• 2 tbsp of finely chopped chives

• 1 small fresh onion (spring salad onion) finely chopped

• 2 tbsp of walnut oil

• 1 tbsp of vinegar (your choice)

• Salt and pepper to taste

instructions

1. Drain the fresh cheese (fromage blanc or cottage cheese) by placing it in a sieve over a bowl. Leave the cheese in the fridge for 30 minutes. In the meantime, chop the herbs, shallot, garlic and onions to prepare your mise en place.

2. Whisk the drained cheese in a large bowl to incorporate some air and make the cheese lighter. Then add the goat cheese (optional) and mix well.

3. Add the creme fraiche and whisk again for just 10 seconds or so.

4. Season with salt and pepper and add the vinegar, mixing again.

5. Finally, add the herbs, garlic, onion and shallots, and use a wooden spoon to mix all of the ingredients together.

6. Place the cheese spread in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour to allow the flavors to infuse with the cheese.

7. Serve the cervelle de canut with toasted or fresh bread. You can serve it with crunchy vegetables too.