Between cheese and bromance, here's the story of a meeting on the Opal Coast between the Frères Bernard (Bernard Brothers), from the cheese shop Sainte-Godeleine, and chef
"I met the Bernard Brothers because I was consulting for several restaurants on the Opal Coast. I needed cheese to make a Wimereux (type of cheese) croque-monsieur." Luckily, the Bernard Brothers, based in the town of Wierre-Effroy just a few kilometers away, produce a wide range of beautiful cheeses. Sons of sheep farmers, they decided in 1990, driven by Antoine, the eldest, to shift their focus to dairy processing. Thus, the brothers mold, brush, wash, or press a catalog of 9 cheeses ranging from sheep's tomme to mimolette, including many homemade creations that the chef knows how to showcase. "My cheese platter is composed exclusively of cheeses from the Frères Bernard, he explains. When I opened my restaurant in April 2022, it seemed logical to work with local products, and thanks to them, I was able to have a nice diversity without having to go hundreds of kilometers away".
My cheese platter is composed exclusively of cheeses from the Frères Bernard
Among these cheeses, the one we're interested in today is one of the cheese shop's best sellers: the Écume de Wimereux, which Sebastien truly enjoys. This cheese, as we'll learn thanks to Joachim when visiting his aging cellars, gets his name from its white color and slightly fuzzy apparence, reminiscent of the foam on the region's beaches. Wandering freely among the Écume cheese racks, chef Renard, equipped with his blue caps and smocks, will find inspiration for our recipe with soft cow's milk cheese with a bloomy rim. "I think we'll focus on two elements to illustrate the evolution of this cheese. First, in its classic version then its fresh version, the Wierre. The idea of working with fresh ingredients is to really respect the cheese's delicate flavor by pairing it with different ingredients", gushes the chef, picking up one of the the white cheese rounds with a slight crust.
Like a painting
Joachim doesn't hide his satisfaction to be working with chefs that respect the products as much as they enhancing them. "For us, this spotlight from chefs like Sebastien is a great source of pride. It's a bit of recognition for our thirty years of history of being present on beautiful tables in the region. And most importantly, it is fascinating to rediscover our own cheeses through the different chefs using them".
With the precious cheeses wrapped up, we head back towards Béthune and the kitchens of Maison Renard, the former stronghold of the local cuisine's pope, Marc Meurin. "I see this dish a bit like a painting: the cheese log is the blank canvas that we then paint over, choosing from our palette of condiments to create a masterpiece." Indeed, upon tasting, the different creams disrupt the velvety sweetness of the fresh cheese while relying on its freshness to tie everything together. On the side, a fluffy cushion filled with Écume cream reveals the hidden power of its younger sibling, like a beautiful tribute to the men who give their time so that cheeses can take theirs.
Maison Renard Fromagerie Sainte Godeleine
Bd Kitchener, 15 pl. de la République 130 rue des coutures
62400 Béthune 62720 Wierre-Effroy
maisonrenard-bethune.fr lesfreresbernard.fr
RECIPE : Wierre with Wimereux Foam ad Puffed Cushion
Wierre with Wimereux foam
Mash the Wierre (fresh cheese) with a fork and shape it into a log (cylinder).
Prepare several condiments to season the cheese:
• Red beet condiment: confit red beets with heavy cream, blackcurrants, and brown sugar. Blend until smooth and
homogenous.
• Mushroom condiment: make a mushroom cream with button mushrooms and porcini mushrooms.
• Parsley-caper condiment: make a parsley chlorophyll, then add capers.
Add parsley oil and a vegetable juice (caramelize leek greens, reduce, blend, and whisk in butter).
Puffed Cushion
Make a pizza dough and puff it in an oven at 200 degrees Celsius for a few seconds.
Fill the cushion with the foam cream (200g Wimereux Foam - 100g raw cream - fine salt - white pepper).
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