Cabécou means "Little Goat" in Occitane, the language of this area and must be one of the most delicious and versatile little cheeses in France. Segolene Royal was responsible for getting this cheese recognised under the Apélllation Controlée in 1996, and the world sat up and took note: it may be small but it is huge in taste and texture!
It is mainly in the Quercy, Rouergue and Périgord regions that this cheese is made and it is believed that it was made for the first time during the Arab/Moorish invasion in France, as it is was they who introduced goats to this country. The legend goes back to 732, at the time of the defeat of the Sarrasins in the area at the Battle of Poitiers. Most of the Moors left the area but some settled there with their families and their goat herds as the countryside was particularly suitable for grazing the "poor man's cow". The cheese was originally named cheblis which is “goat”, in Arabic, but later adapted to Occitan, cabécou meaning "small goat".
Under the name of Rocamadour, all the cheeses in the cabécous family were given the AOC in March 1996-- a very important recognition in the world of cheeses! The cabécou is a small round cheese of about 4 to 5 centimeters in diameter, and about one and half centimeters high, made of 'raw' unpasteurized goat's milk, un-'pressed' and with a natural skin. It weighs about 40 grams and contains 45% fat. The texture is creamy and soft and it has a slightly nutty taste. Because of its small size it reaches maturity very quickly -- its production period is between ten days and four weeks. The best cabécous can be bought mainly in spring and autumn.
There are many delicious recipes with cabécou, but for now, this one of Clémence Pruvost, the Portefeuille de cabécou, is highly recommended: the alliance between apples and cabécou is food fit for the gods!
For 4 people:
- 4 cabécous
- 1 apple
- 4 plate sized rounds of filo dough
- 4 table spoons of creamy honey
- 4 twigs of rosemary
- 10 gr butter
- a spoon of sugar
Wash the apple en slice thinly
Heat the butter in a pan and lightly cook the apple, first over strong heat, then over slow heat. Add the sugar and allow to caramalize. The slices must be still soft and golden brown.
On each of the rounds of filo dough, place a few caramalized apple slices, then one cabécou, one spoon of honey and the twig or rosemary
Close the rounds two third of the way to the top to form a parcel.
Place them in a hot oven for a few moments, to allow the pastry to turn light brown.
Serve with a fresh green salad.
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