Cold Smoked Gruyère with Beech and Apple Wood
The nutty Gruyère is excellent for cold smoking with a blend of beech and apple wood that perfectly complements its natural flavors. The longer smoking time compared to soft cheeses allows deeper smoke penetration into the semi-hard paste. The result is a cheese with an intense smoky flavor ideal for gratins or cheese boards.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Preparation
1 hourCut the Gruyère into blocks, wipe the surface, and let it air dry for 1 hour. Rub sea salt, pepper, and mustard seeds evenly on all sides.
Smoking Preparation
15 minutesMix beech and apple wood chips in a 2:1 ratio in the cold smoke generator and light them. Ensure the smoking chamber temperature does not exceed 22 °C.
Cold Smoking
4-6 hoursPlace the cheese on a wire rack in the smoking chamber and place the bay leaves alongside. Turn the cheese every 2 hours to ensure even smoking.
Aging
24-48 hoursLet the smoked Gruyère rest unwrapped on a wire rack in the refrigerator so the smoke flavors permeate the cheese and the surface firms up.
Pro Tip
Cut the Gruyère into blocks of no more than 500 g so the smoke reaches all sides evenly. A wood ratio of 2:1 (beech:apple) gives the most balanced smoke flavor for this cheese.
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