'Tomme de Lozère' cheese

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'Tomme de Lozère' cheese

'Tomme de Lozère' Thanks to its creamy consistency, this cheese can be melted over potatoes with cold cuts of pork. Take it out of the fridge at the beginning of the meal, as it is best enjoyed at room temperature. © STOCKFOOD LBRF / age fotostock

Whether it comes from the Lozère or elsewhere, 'Tomme' is a rustic kind of cheese made using milk fresh from the animal, and which can be kept after a lengthy maturing process.
What sets 'Tomme de Lozère' apart from its relatives made in other regions is, above all, the yellowier colour it has on account of its being made from cow's milk, rather than sheep's milk. It is also smaller than the other 'Tommes', weighing in at just about 2 pounds, in comparison with the 7- or 8-pound 'Tommes' from the Pyrenees.
There are several stages of production, starting by adding a starter culture to the milk to make it thicken and produce curds.
The curds are then skimmed off to give 'curd grains' which are then slowly mixed before being put in a mould.
This is then drained and salted, and left to mature in a ventilated room with an air temperature of 10°C and very high humidity. During this maturing process, which can last between 3 weeks (for soft cheese) and 2 months (for pressed cheese), the cheese is regularly brushed and turned before it can be tasted.
This small round cheese with grey rind is a great addition to any cheese board, and is used in many local recipes, including 'Aligot' and 'Truffade'.