Saint-Marcellin

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Saint-Marcellin is a small (80g) cow’s milk cheese from the Dauphiné-Isère border that has become the defining cheese of Lyonnais gastronomy, elevated to legendary status by the affineur Rénard at Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse. The cheese begins as a simple lactic-set curd — raw or pasteurized milk is inoculated with mesophilic cultures and a minimal amount of rennet (1-2ml per 10 liters), coagulating slowly over 24 hours at 20-22°C. This predominantly lactic coagulation (as opposed to enzymatic) produces the characteristic melting, almost liquid texture at peak ripeness. The fresh curds are hand-ladled into small molds without pressing, drained for 48 hours, then salted and placed on wooden racks for affinage. The magic of Saint-Marcellin lies in its affinage trajectory: at 2 weeks it’s firm and chalky (sec); at 3-4 weeks it develops a thin, wrinkled grey-blue rind and increasingly creamy interior (demi-sec); at 5-8 weeks it reaches the prized coulé stage — the rind barely contains a completely liquid, spoonable interior with an intense, complex flavor profile combining mushroom, hazelnut, and barnyard notes. The Mère Richard stall at Les Halles mastered the art of selecting cheeses at different stages and maturing them in humid caves at 12°C and 95% humidity. In Lyonnais cuisine, Saint-Marcellin coulé is served in its terracotta crock with warm bread, used to sauce ravioles du Dauphiné, or baked briefly until the rind crisps while the interior remains molten.

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