Fromage blanc. Picture Partners / Getty Images via Canva Pro.
Fromage blanc is a fresh cheese that looks and spreads somewhat like cream cheese.
It can be made with whole or skim milk. Starter culture and rennet are added to heated milk, then the milk is allowed to set and firm up like yoghurt. It is then strained through a cloth until what remains in the cloth is as firm as desired. It is not aged.
Depending on what you need to do with it, you can use it as is, drain it a bit, or whisk it smooth.
In Europe, you just buy fromage blanc in tubs at grocery stores. A few specialty makers are starting to produce it in North America, but it’s very expensive. In North America, you can buy kits from cheesemaking supply stores to make it.
Cooking Tips
Fromage blanc is often used as a topping for fruit, or on its own topped with cream and sugar. It can be used as an ingredient in cooking, but be careful as it will curdle owing to its lower fat content.
Substitutes
Low-fat cream cheese thinned with a bit of cream, ricotta, Greek yoghurt, sour cream, curd cheese, cottage cheese blended with a bit of yoghurt.
Language Notes
The name means “white cheese”