Smoked Goat Cheese with Lavender and Thyme
Fresh goat cheese is flavored with dried Provençal herbs and cold-smoked. The mild flavor of the cheese absorbs fine beech smoke beautifully. Ideal as a starter on toasted bread or in salads.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Preparation
10 min + 2 hours restingPat goat cheese rounds dry with kitchen paper. Mix lavender, thyme, fleur de sel and pepper. Brush cheese with olive oil, then evenly coat with the herb mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Drying
30 minutesPlace cheese on the smoker rack and allow to dry at room temperature for 30 minutes until the surface feels slightly dry. This promotes better smoke absorption and prevents a wet rind from forming.
Cold Smoking
3–4 hoursCool the smoker or smoking chamber to below 20 °C. Fill the cold smoke generator with beech dust and a little dried lavender and ignite. Place cheese inside and smoke for 3–4 hours. Check smoker temperature every 60 minutes and replenish ice as needed.
Resting and Serving
12–24 hoursAfter smoking, wrap the cheese in parchment paper and rest in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours, ideally 24 hours. This allows the flavor to fully develop and the smokiness to mellow pleasantly. Bring to room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
Pro Tip
Let the smoker cool down thoroughly before placing the cheese – temperatures above 22 °C will cause the cheese to melt and lose its shape. A tray of ice inside the smoker helps keep the temperature stable.
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