A little bit of history
Saint-Marcellin cheese is the flagship cheese of the Isère valley. It first rose to prominence when it was served before dessert at King Louis XI’s table, followed by a digestive liqueur, and to crown it all – the royal nap. Since then, this soft-ripened cow’s cheese has become a cheese platter staple throughout France. There are many ways to enjoy this cheese – in the Dauphiné area it is eaten aged, whereas in Lyon it is enjoyed as part of a salad with garlic croutons, or with a piece of baguette. Today, we are bending tradition with a modern Saint-Marcellin slider.
The recipe
Take two Saint-Marcellin cheeses (not overripe) and select a few high-quality potatoes that bake well, such as the Bintje variety. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Peel 400 g of potatoes, then halve them lengthwise and bake them for 30 minutes, with a drizzle of olive oil, a few garlic cloves and sprigs of thyme.
After baking the potatoes, cut one of the Saint-Marcellin cheeses in half, into two discs. Your potatoes should still be warm! Take two potato slices to make your bun, and fill it with half of the cheese and a thin slice of raw ham.
For a beautifully presented dish, wrap your slider with a thin thread and top it with a sprig of thyme. After assembly, put the sliders back in the still-hot oven for a minute or two and enjoy right away!
Stéphanie Iguna's blog: www.stephatable.com
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