Tomme Brûlée is a really unique cheese from the Basque region of Southern France. It is a traditional Petit Basque cheese (incredibly small) which is then singed with a blowtorched.
Firstly the ewe’s milk is heated slowly so that the sugars in the milk caramelise. Ewes milk tends to be a little sweeter to start with and this elevates it to another level. It is then produced in the same way as the traditional basque cheese whereby the animal rennet is added to the raw milk along with a starter to allow the curds and whey to form.
The cheese is heavily pressed to create a firm, rich paste which is then left to age for at least three months before the rind is scorched with a blowtorch.
This traditional Basque farmhouse cheese has an underlying taste of grassy notes which is combined with richness from the ewe’s milk. The blowtorching brings a sweet smokey flavour with a little nuttiness too.
This rare cheese has the most distinctive appearance with a dark burnt rind and a beautiful white paste and is the perfect accompaniment to a light bodied wine.
