Boursin Cheese
Boursin cheese is a soft creamy cheese available in a variety of flavours. Its flavor and texture is somewhat similar to the American cream cheese. Boursin cheese was first produced in 1957 by François Boursin in Normandy. Boursin is a trademark. Boursin cheese was at one time produced exclusively in Croisy-sur-Eure, France, by the Boursin company, a subsidiary of Group Bel, but is now also produced in the United States for North American distribution by Unilever.
Store-bought Boursin Cheese Flavors to experiment with:
Garlic & Fine Herbs (Ingredients: Pasteurized cultured milk and cream, granulated garlic, salt, white pepper, parsley, dried chives.)
Shallot & Chive
Cracked Pepper (Ingredients: Pasteurized cultured milk and cream, salt, black pepper, potassium sorbate (preservative).)
Red Chili Pepper (Ingredients: Pasteurized cultured milk and cream, dried red bell pepper, salt, spice, potassium sorbate (preservative), natural flavor.)
Basil & Chive (Ingredients: Pasteurized cultured milk and cream, salt, dried and freeze dried basil, freeze dried chives, potassium sorbate (preservative).)
Cranberry & Spice (Ingredients Pasteurized cultured milk and cream, dried cranberries, (sugar, cranberries, sunflower oil), salt, black pepper, potassium sorbate (preservative).)
Note: The recipes below yield soft cream cheese consistency boursins. There are now recipes circulating the Internet that yield a more solid, molded boursin. They claim the consistency is closer to the store-bought cheese by this name, creamy, yet a little crumbly. They add 4 softened tablerspoons of butter to 8 ounces cream cheese and then mix this with the other ingredients. The cheese is then molded by pressing it, to remove air, in a plastic wrap lined 1-cup dry measuring cup. The plastic wrap is then folded up to completely cover the cheese and it is refrigerated for at least 1 hour before serving so the flavors meld. It should be brought to room temperature 30 minutes before serving.
Susan's Boursin Cheese
Susan's recipe is excellent and we make it every year for the holidays. She likes to add exta garlic.
8 oz. cream cheese
6 T. sour cream
3 T. fresh parsley, chopped
2 T. shallots, minced (or substitute chives or green onions)
1/2 tsp. tarragon
1 tsp. garlic, minced
salt & pepper
Dash of tabasco
Mix everything together with an electric mixer. It should be thick enough to spread on crackers; add a little cream if it is too thick. Refrigerate overnight to blend flavors. The main flavors should be the tarragon (which only develops after sitting for several hours) and the garlic, with a hint of tabasco.
Good on cracked wheat crackers.
Makes about 2 cups
Homemade Boursin-Style Cheese Spread
By Meathead Goldwyn, from http://amazingribs.com/
If you haven't tasted Boursin (R), you're missing something. Boursin is a spreadable cow's milk cream cheese that comes in five flavors. My fave is flavored with garlic and herbs. It's great as a spread on a crusty baguette or on crackers or stuffed into jalapeño poppers. It is also wonderful as a sauce dolloped on a hot steak, asparagus, or in with mashed potatoes.
Boursin was created in 1957 by Francois Boursin, a cheesemaker in Normandy, France. The brand is now owned by multi-national Unilever. You can buy Boursin in many groceries, but it is fairly easy to make something similar at home for a fraction of the cost.
8 ounce brick of cream cheese (you can use low fat) or spreadable
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground and finely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fines herbes (Fines herbes is a classic mix you can buy in a bottle. It contains parsley, chives, tarragon, chervil, and occasionally marjoram)
Optional: add 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder.
1) Let the cheese sit at room temp for about an hour to make it easy to mix. Low fat or spreadable cream cheese are easy to work in 15 minutes or less. Or microwave it for 10 seconds to soften it.
2) Blend in the seasonings with a fork. Let it age in the fridge for 4 hours or more if possible. This allows the oil-soluble flavors in the herbs to be extracted and marry with the cheese.
3) It is easier to spread on breads and crackers at room temperature. If there is any left over, plop it onto some plastic wrap and roll it into a ball with the plastic tight against it and refrigerate.
Yield. 8 ounces
