French Garlic Bread.

If there’s one thing us French people love its butter and garlic, AND LOTS OF IT, so let’s be honest garlic bread was made for French cuisine. Although it’s typically paired with Italian dishes, garlic bread is made traditionally with a baguette, so it’s not too far of a stretch to turn this standard spaghetti side into a magnifique hors d’oeuvre. Today I will be sharing some French-inspired garlic bread and cheese combo techniques and of course some wine pairings to go with them.

What you will need:

• baguettes
• butter
• garlic cloves
• salt
• pepper
• herbes de provence
• extra virgin olive oil

Prep:

First, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)

Cut baguette into small-medium slices and lay them out on a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Mince garlic cloves and brown them in a small oiled pan until golden brown. Add butter in the pan on low until completely melted. Once melted turn off the stove and add-in salt pepper, and herbes de provence. Take a brush and lightly coat both sides of each sliced baguette with the mixture. Bake in the preheated oven approximately 10 minutes, until lightly toasted.

Now if you want to be a real fancy mother fucker I suggest adding any one of these cheese and wine combos as a topper to your French garlic bread.

Cheese & Wine:

• Fromage de Meaux – A close twin to Brie de Meaux, with one big difference. Fromage de Meaux is made from pasteurized milk, and Brie can only be produced using raw milk. Spite this they taste very similar but Fromage de Meaux gives off a sweet, yet smoky truffle flavor. Best with red wines: Red Bordeaux, Beaujolais, Pinot Noir. 
• Oussau-Iraty – Made from unpasteurized sheep’s milk, this cheese has a unique buttery, fruity, and nutty complexity that is best served with a full-bodied red wine.
• Chèvre – Goat cheeses are delicious plain and simple. A robust and creamy flavor that sets them apart from cow cheeses, this distinctive tang, and bold flavor grows as it ages. White wines like Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé, and even Sauvignon de Touraine work. But honestly, any fruity aromatic white will work.
• Fol Epi – A small plump healthy cow cheese that packs a sweet punch and leaves a nice nutty after taste. This cheese is great on almost anything and is great for those with sensitive palates. Serve with red, white, or heck even beer goes well with this cheese!