Peculiarities of making Saint-Necter cheese. Useful properties of French cheese. Who better to refrain from using it? Cooking uses, interesting facts and a brief history of the product.
Saint-Necter is a semi-soft French cheese produced in a strictly limited geographical area - the Mont-Dore highlands. The product is AOC certified, guaranteeing regional ownership and high quality standards. The prestigious label was received only in 1955, although Saint-Necter received popularity and popular love during the reign of Louis XIV. The product is prepared from pasteurized milk of exclusively Salerian cows, grown in natural conditions on natural feed. The heads have a diameter of about 20 cm and a weight of 1.5-2 kg. The crust is hard, with a pronounced straw smell. Cheese flesh - firm, but soft, creamy texture and delicate yellow color with the aroma of nuts, mushrooms and spices. Saint-Necter has a unique multifaceted taste, which is especially well emphasized by red wines from Burgundy.
Peculiarities of making Saint-Necter cheese
Saint-Necter is prepared according to the classical technology with slight discrepancies with it at the pressing stage:
- The milk is heated to 32 degrees, mixed with a mesophilic ferment, after which a milk-clotting enzyme is added and left for a while for the cultures to do their job.
- When the curd mass is formed, it is cut and transferred to a compression mold using light weights. It is this step, as well as the short ripening time, that provide the cheese with a delicate soft texture.
- After the initial pressing, the cheese is soaked in saline solution and pressed again.
- The next step is to dry the cheese on rye straw, which contributes to the characteristic smell of Saint-Necter, and then it is removed to the cellars for maturation. Ideal conditions: temperature - 10-12 degrees, humidity - 90-95%.
Aging takes 5 to 8 weeks. Periodically, the heads are turned over. The production of one head weighing 1.5-2 kg requires approximately 14 liters of milk.
When preparing Saint-Nectera at home, two problems arise. Firstly, it is quite difficult to find high-quality raw materials and special ingredients, and secondly, it is almost impossible to create the correct climatic conditions for ripening. These difficulties can be overcome, guided by the clear instructions of a professional, so if you want to learn how to cook real French cheese, the best solution would be to study in special courses in cheese making.
Composition and calorie content of Saint-Necter cheese
The calorie content of Saint-Necter cheese is 300-350 kcal per 100 grams. Fluctuations in numbers are due to seasonal changes in milk, maturation time and some other factors.
It is worth noting that cheese has a high fat content - 45%, which means that there is hardly a place for it in the diet. But the product will well complement a full-fledged diet: Saint-Necter, like any other cheese, contains many vitamins (especially group B) and minerals (especially calcium and phosphorus).
Benefits of Saint Necter cheese
The nutrients included in the cheese provide it with many useful properties, the main of which are:
- Strengthening bone tissue, teeth and nails … Cheese is the record holder for the content of calcium, the most important mineral for our body. When the body is demineralized, due, for example, to acidification, calcium reserves are primarily taken from bones, teeth, nails. This borrowing is difficult to notice, especially when it comes to bones. The mineral deficiency can accumulate for a long time, until it leads to serious consequences, in the form of serious injuries "out of the blue" and long-term healing fractures. Keeping track of and adjusting your daily calcium intake is very important, and the benefits of Saint Necter cheese in this task are obvious. By the way, the point is not only that there is a lot of calcium in the product, but also that it is well absorbed - there are elements in the cheese that accompany its better absorption - phosphorus and vitamin D.
- Replenishment of protein deficiency … Saint-Necter cheese contains a complete protein, well balanced in amino acid composition. It is efficiently absorbed and provides many vital functions for the body. The product is especially rich in the amino acid tryptophan, which is the "provitamin" of the hormone of joy - seratonin.
- Beneficial effect on the nervous system and metabolic processes … These two most important properties provide the cheese with vitamins of the B group. The lack of vitamins of this group negatively affects the functioning of almost all tissues and systems. Metabolic processes and the central nervous system are especially affected. Replenishing their deficiency through regular consumption of cheese, you can count on improving the processes of digestion, energy metabolism and brain activity.
There is also a scientific theory that cheese is a great way to boost fertility and prevent erectile dysfunction.
Read more about the health benefits of Pelardon cheese
Contraindications and harm of Saint-Necter cheese
Contraindications to the use of Saint-Necter cheese apply primarily to people with overweight … Cheese fat content of 45% is completely unacceptable in the diet of people with an increased risk of obesity.
Also, care should be taken when tasting cheese allergy sufferers, dairy products are a very common allergen.
The restriction for use is and lactase deficiency, in this case, you need to rely on the form of the severity of the disease. If it is light, it is allowed to eat a couple of small slices, if it is medium or heavy, it is better to refuse the product altogether.
By the way, the daily dose of cheese for a healthy person is limited: you shouldn't eat more than 50-80 grams of it. This limitation is due to two factors: firstly, the product has a high fat content; secondly, the increased sodium content, which is explained by soaking the cheese in a salty solution. Sodium is a mineral that is vital for the body in certain quantities, but its increased consumption carries many dangers.
Saint-Necter cheese can also be harmful if there is a disease that suggests a therapeutic diet. Be sure to consult your doctor before using the product in this case.
Recipes with Saint Necter cheese
Saint-Necter is a versatile product. Application in the kitchen is harder for him to find than to find. It will be an excellent addition to almost any dish: it can be put in a hearty cream soup, in any hot dish, pie, pizza, salad, or simply on a sandwich.
Here are some good uses for Saint Necter cheese recipes:
- Champignauvergne is a traditional French dish … Cut the champignons (400 grams) into thin slices, fry for 5-7 minutes in butter over medium heat. Add the sliced cheese (100 grams). Beat eggs (3 pieces) separately with flour (50 grams) and softened butter (50 grams), dilute with milk - you should get the consistency of a pancake dough. Salt the mixture, add pepper, nutmeg to taste. Pour the mixture over the mushrooms and cheese. When the crust is golden on one side, turn over and wait for the other side to "gild". Eat the mushroom hot, sprinkle with finely chopped parsley and dill on top.
- French gratin … Fold the smoked chicken breast (300 grams) into a saucepan and top it with cream (300 ml), bring to a boil, turn off the heat and leave for 5 minutes. Remove the breast and place the pieces of Saint-Necter (150 grams) in the hot cream instead. Finely chop the leeks (6 stalks), simmer lightly over low heat. Grease a baking dish with butter, put onions, then chicken and cover with the cream cheese mixture. Bake for 20 minutes at 180 degrees.
- Pasta baked with tomatoes and cheese … Boil the pasta (300 g) until aldente. Grease a baking dish with butter, spread the pasta. Place the next layer in thin slices of tomatoes (2 pieces), then grated on a fine grater Saint-Necter (100 grams). Season with salt and pepper, add dried garlic and Italian herbs. Top with a little sour cream to taste. Wash down the dish for 20 minutes at 180 degrees.
- Turkey cheese soup … Put turkey fillets (500 grams) into a saucepan, cover with water. Bring to a boil, salt, add allspice, bay leaf. Cook for half an hour, lay out the meat. Instead, put in diced potatoes (400 grams), cook for 7 minutes. Meanwhile, in a skillet, pass chopped onions (150 grams) and grated carrots (180 grams). Finely chop the meat, put it to the potatoes, send vegetables from the pan and processed cheese (200 grams) grated there - to make it easier to grate, put it in the freezer first. Cook everything together for 5-7 minutes. Grate Saint-Necter (150 grams), finely chop the herbs (to taste). Pour hot soup into bowls, sprinkle with grated cheese and herbs. Eat with crispy baguette or croutons.
- Hearty pizza … Boil chicken breast (200 grams), chill, chop finely. Roll out the finished pizza dough (500 grams), brush with your favorite tomato sauce (350 grams). Place the chicken, then the grated Saint Necter (100 grams) and the Mozzarella slices (150 grams). Top with chopped basil (50 grams) and drizzle olive oil over the dish. Bake for 20 minutes at 200 degrees.
If you want to taste the "pure" taste of Saint-Necter, cut it into thin slices and serve with berry jam, nuts and red wine.
Interesting facts about Saint Necter cheese
Saint-Necter cheese is cooked all year round, but true connoisseurs can easily distinguish between summer and winter varieties. The former have a richer flavor with hints of flowers and herbs, since the cows are free pasturing and eating fresh pasture. Winter cheese is more neutral in taste, since animals feed on hay during this period.
Saint-Nectaire Latier is prepared by industrial enterprises, Saint-Nectaire Fermier - by farms. You can distinguish them not only by name, but also by label, in the first case it is green square in shape, in the second it is round or oval of the same color.
However, both the one and the other cheese can boast of the highest quality. However, Fermier is prepared directly from fresh milk, while in production they work with pasteurized raw materials. For this reason, by the way, the farm Saint-Necter is not recommended for people with a weakened defense system - bacteria that are dangerous in immunodeficiencies may be present in thermally unprocessed milk.
Saint-Nectaire Fermier costs twice as much as an industrial one, but there are no problems with demand. It is not even exported, but is eaten quickly and with pleasure within the country, despite the fact that the spread in production volumes is not so great. The factories produce about 7,000 tons of cheese per year, and the farmers produce 5,500 tons. And in the near future, the latter promises even greater success: experts say that in terms of production scale Saint-Nectaire Fermier will soon overtake Saint-Nectaire Laitier.
According to legend, the cheese got its name in the 16th century, when it was introduced to King Louis XIV by a marshal named Henri de Senector - he was nicknamed Saint Nectarius. It is noteworthy that the same marshal played a significant role in the popularization of two more French cheeses - Cantal and Salers.
Saint-Necter is a soft French cheese with a multifaceted taste, which contains notes of nuts, mushrooms and spices. In cooking, the product is universal, it can be used in the preparation of almost any dish, however, it is also good as an independent snack. Excellent taste is not the only positive feature of Saint-Necter. This cheese contains useful nutrients and has a beneficial effect on the body with moderate use and no contraindications.
