Gruyère

Gruyère

What it is

The holes belong to Emmental, not to Gruyère — the Swiss are firm about this, and true Gruyère is dense and nearly blind. The confusion is French: for centuries gruyère was a generic word for any large pressed alpine wheel, which is why French recipes still say it when they mean almost anything.

In the kitchen

For a gratin, grate it cold and coarse. Fine grating turns to paste in the hand and clumps rather than covering.

Goes with

Potato Onion Nutmeg Cream Garlic Black pepper Butter Egg

Also used with

Pastrami Sodium citrate Paris cooked ham Emmentaler Kirsch

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