In its home country of France, Briecheese is practically a religion. Worldwide, it ranks among the world’s best-known and most beloved cheeses. Yet somehow in the U.S., Brie often gets a bad rap. I’ve lost count of the friends and family members who swear they can’t stand it and have dismissed the cheese as bland, boring or just plain blah. Each time, the same question comes to mind: Is Brie the problem, or is the problem how we treat it?To better understand what Brie should actually taste like—and to give this cheese a fair chance—I turned to Paris-based chef Mickaël Brigaudin. He knows his way around French food, and more importantly, around ingredients that reward patience. He sees Brie as one of the cheeses Americans struggle with most, not from actual dislike but from misunderstanding.Brigaudin co-founded Cagettes, a Paris-based catering company built around seasonal food, eco-responsible practices and close relationships with small producers. It’s the very French mindset and insistence on letting good products speak for themselves that shape how he approaches Brie, too.
Brigaudin shared with Parade six simple things you can do to ensure your next Brie purchase tastes amazing. Just be prepared to share: You might win over a few skeptics along the way.
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Brigaudin says the number one mistake people make with Brie is eating it cold. “In the United States, it is almost always served straight out of the refrigerator—a cold Brie hardens, loses its fragrance, does not release its aromas and tastes bland,” he says. The center of the cheese needs to relax in order to develop its supple texture and its aromas of mushroom, cream and hazelnut.” If the cheese is cut too early, he explains, the cheese remains chalky in the center, the aromas do not emerge and the cheese seems ‘flat’ and uninteresting.
So, how long before you can dig in? Brigaudin says about 45 minutes to 1 hour before eating. He also mentions that microwaving it if you’re in a time crunch may be tempting, but resist the urge and try his hack instead:
"Take it out of the fridge and leave it under a dome with a pinch of fine salt on the rind for 10 minutes,” Brigaudin says. This amplifies aromas, softens the bitterness of the rind, and intensifies the creaminess on the palate.
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5 More Simple Tips for a Delicious Brie
Who knew that just like fruit, Brie has a level of ripeness? Brigaudin says an underripe Brie has a “white and very firm center, almost chalky,” a rind without a pronounced aroma and a dry texture that lacks elasticity.
Somewhere between underripe and overripe is a perfectly ripe Brie. This cheese has a “supple, slightly glossy paste and the center is no longer hard,” and the rind releases aromas of fresh mushroom, cream and sometimes brown butter with a slight ‘oozing’ under the rind (this is a good thing!).
The opposite end of the spectrum is Brie that's past its prime. Overripe brie will have a sharp smell, “a rind that darkens and becomes sticky [and] a very liquid texture with yellowish seepage,” according to Brigaudin.
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2. Chat up your cheesemonger (even at the grocery store)
Before tossing any old wheel of Brie into your cart, Brigaudin encourages asking the seller questions. He also suggests asking about the degree of aging: “Is it rather young, at its peak or well aged?” He says to ask about the arrival date of the batch, too. “The more recent it is, the more you can choose your level of maturity,” he says. When possible, ask for a tasting before you buy.
If you don't have time to chat and sample, Brigaudin recommends looking for a French variety called Brie de Meaux AOP—a buttery cheese sold in some U.S. specialty shops—or Brie de Melun AOP if you happen to be visiting France.
Chicago-based cheesemonger Alisha Norris Jones offered up some additional perspective for American shoppers. “The best Brie you can buy [in U.S. supermarkets] is Murray’s Brie Fermier—a bit of a trick, as Murray’s selects and imports this cheese from France,” she says. “Murray’s works with Kroger, and you can find a lot of their branded cheese at grocery stores.”
Brie Fermier is modeled on Brie de Meaux, though it’s made with pasteurized cow’s milk rather than the traditional raw milk. (A quick note about this one—it’s stinky! If you’re not a fan of strong-smelling cheeses, we’d advise skipping this one.) Jones also mentions the Moses Sleeper Brie from Jasper Hill Farm as another favorite.
Brigaudin says to channel a bit of French intuition when choosing your cheese. To do this, use all of your senses when shopping: “Look: the rind should be matte, ivory, not shiny and slightly marbled. Smell: a gentle aroma of fresh mushroom, not overpowering. Touch: gently press the edge; it should give slightly without collapsing. Lift the rind slightly with a fingernail: it should peel away easily but never float,” he says.
Just as important is knowing when to walk away. Brigaudin advises avoiding very white, uniform rinds, which are often too young or, as he puts it, “industrial.” Skip cheese wrapped in rigid plastic, which can "suffocate" the cheese and create an unpleasant odor. And when it comes to bargain options, he is blunt: "cheap, pasteurized Bries—their flavor is often very limited," he says.
Related: 4 Ways to Make Brie Cheese 10x Better
4. Slice your cheese correctly
When it comes to cutting Brie, Brigaudin has one hard rule: Never cut off the ‘nose’ of a Brie, he explains. “It should be cut from the point outward, respecting the shape of the cheese so that everyone gets a portion of both the center and the rind. A bad cut crushes the paste and prevents proper maturation.”
5. Pair your Brie thoughtfully
Brigaudin says people often make the mistake of slathering Brie on overly sweet crackers or automatically pairing the cheese with red wine. "Generally, cheeses are best enjoyed with white wine," he says. "The acidity cuts through the fat."
When it comes to pairing Brie, he favors combinations that contrast the creaminess and richness. Think grilled country bread with freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of honey, Brie alongside fresh or caramelized pears, toasted walnuts or hazelnuts; or sips of dry cider, sparkling pét-nat or Champagne.
For a more indulgent twist, Brigaudin shares a decadent experiment from his catering company: “Cut the Brie in half and place truffle cream or a fresh truffle inside, let it rest in the fridge for a few days, then take it out of the fridge and wait a bit before cutting it.”
Brigaudin also points to a simpler, classic approach that never fails: “Brie and a baguette and coffee for breakfast to start the day well.” Sounds good to us!
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Sources:
Mickaël Brigaudin, Paris-based chef and co-founder of Cagettes catering companyAlisha Norris Jones, Chicago-based cheesemongerHence then, the article about a french chef says almost everyone eats brie wrong here s what to do instead was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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