Roquefort Cheese In French Cuisine - Traditional Dishes And Uses

Feb 05 2025

Roquefort cheese didn’t earn the name ‘the King of Cheeses’ for no reason, and it has stood on its own for many years as the quintessential blue cheese and a gastronomic gem which lends itself to French cuisine in a variety of ways. A true cheese lover has a natural penchant for blue cheese, when its sharp, salty taste and pungent nose might put off a non-believer, but the incomparable taste of Roquefort has been known to turn the most committed blue cheese sceptic, and as a result Roquefort is used widely in traditional French cuisine.

Roquefort – The King of Cheeses

As an unpasteurised ewe’s milk cheese, Roquefort already has its own distinctive characteristics, and the mix of cool air and humidity of the mountains of the Causses region where it originates from, and the natural caves of Combalou where it is aged, add to this to provide Roquefort with a uniquely intense taste. Roquefort should be ivory coloured and beautifully speckled with a blue mold, and perhaps its most distinguishing quality is the moist texture and the smoothy, spreadable creaminess, which incongruously also sees Roquefort retain a crumbly structure.

This intoxicating combination of textures and flavours comes from a long ripening process in natural cellars where the cheese is wrapped in foil, but when it is properly aged and ready to unfurl, there is a wealth of delicacies that Roquefort can appear centre stage in.

But first some golden rules:

Always serve Roquefort at room temperature or above, never straight from the fridge. Inhibiting even a tiny percentage of that flavour is a criminal act.
Secondly, if the cheese is a little firm and doesn’t have much moisture, it probably still needs to ripen a bit, so if you can bear it, stick it back in the fridge.

How to use Roquefort in French cuisine

Once you have mastered those basics, there are a number of ways you can go.

On its own – Roquefort takes you on a gastronomic journey all on its own. Straight off the knife it starts mild, then goes sweet, offers hints of smokiness and then ends with a salty punch.
On a cheeseboard - The quality of this cheese merits taking that taste journey with no distractions, but nevertheless, Roquefort as an accompaniment should be front and centre of any good French cheeseboard. So pair it with figs, walnuts and a sweet wine and watch your guests go wild.
Salads – A cheese connoisseur would admit that Roquefort is best enjoyed uncooked, and as the main ingredient in a salad there are various ways you can take it. A salad with walnuts and a white wine vinegar dressing perhaps? Baked sweet potato and Roquefort salad? Maybe a salad with pears, chicory and walnut oil? Have you tried a roquefort salad with warm beetroot, artichoke and pear? Or Roquefort in a salad with endives and walnuts? A Cobb salad is a very popular use of Roquefort too. And essentially, any salad with a sweet dressing will work against the salty, lactic taste of the cheese.
Fish – Mussels work well with a classic Roquefort sauce, also containing onions, dry white wine or cider, thick cream and black pepper.
Baking – If you do want to heat up and cook your Roquefort, this does release some wonderful flavours, and the cheese will still hold its own structurally. So Roquefort can be used in a fantastic tart paired with plump figs, and can also be used in shortbreads, pies and quiches.
Hot dishes – Finally, Roquefort is often used as a distinctive ingredient in pasta sauces, and if you want to enjoy the fundamental simplicity of Roquefort, just smear it all over a hot jacket potato.

Here are some great recipes telling you how to use Roquefort in your French cuisine and if you want some authentic Roquefort delivering to your restaurant in the UK, then contact our team at Sodiaal UK today.