Cervelle de Canut


Cervelle de Canut
In French, this curious name means "silk-weaver's brain", but don't be alarmed, this tasty "brain" consists of cottage cheese mixed with herbs, vinegar and finely chopped shallots.

The Canuts were the silk weavers in the area around Lyon, France. In the nineteenth century this was one of their favourite dishes.
23K 3.5/5 based on 2 reviews
Grade this recipe:

Last modified on: August 1st 2021

Keywords for this recipe:
For 500 g, you will need:

Change these quantities to make:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 21 min.
Resting: 1 hour
All in all: 1 hour 21 min.
When should you start or finish this recipe?
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time

Step by step recipe


Stage 1 - 1 hour
Cervelle de Canut
Thoroughly drain 400 g cottage (or curd) cheese: put in a strainer over a bowl and leave for at least 1 hour.

Stage 2 - 10 min.
Cervelle de Canut
Meanwhile, peel 3 shallots and 2 cloves garlic. Prepare the chives and parsley.

If you can, pick a few chive flowers as well.

Stage 3 - 3 min.
Cervelle de Canut
Chop the shallots and garlic cloves very finely.

Stage 4 - 2 min.
Cervelle de Canut
Chop the parsley and chives.

Stage 5 - 2 min.
Cervelle de Canut
Transfer the drained cottage cheese to a bowl, add 4 tablespoons liquid cream and beat with a whisk to loosen the cheese.

Stage 6 - 2 min.
Cervelle de Canut
Salt and pepper, then add 4 tablespoons olive oil and 4 tablespoons white (spirit) vinegar. Beat again to mix well.

Stage 7 - 2 min.
Cervelle de Canut
Add the shallots, herbs and the chive flowers if you have some, and mix these in with a spoon.

Check the seasoning.

Your Cervelle de Canut is ready.

Stage 8
Cervelle de Canut
You can enjoy it on fingers of toast...

Stage 9
Cervelle de Canut
...as an aperitif snack.

Stage 10
Cervelle de Canut
Or as part of a meal with, say, steamed potatoes.
Remarks
The amounts given are for guidance, so do adapt them, a little more of this or less of that, to suit your taste.

The herbs can be whatever you prefer: parsley and chives as here, or chervil and tarragon, which also work well.
Keeping: 1 or 2 days in the fridge, covered with plastic film.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
Proteins (gr)Carbohydrates (gr)Fats (gr)Energy value (in k-calories)Energy value (in k-joules)
Whole recipe50 20 %40 4 %100 10 %1,210 60 %5,050 60 %
Per 100 g7 3 %5 1 %10 2 %180 9 %750 9 %
The % figures are calculated in relation to the Recommended Dietary Intake , or RDI of 2,000 k-calories (or 8,400 k-joules) per day for a woman Change to a man
Possible allergens in this recipe: Milk, Sulfites
How much will it cost?
  • For 500 g : 2.89 $

Change currency:

Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Other recipes you may also like
How to prepare an avocado
How to prepare an avocado
Here is how to get from an avocado only the flesh of the fruit.
January 9th 2010192K 14 11 min.
Hay-baked poultry
Hay-baked poultry
Cooking poultry in hay may seem strange, but it is a very simple method. The bird is just seasoned and cooked slowly for a long time with a large bunch of hay. During the slow cooking the poultry takes on the flavour of the hay, with its mix of grassy herbal and floral notes. This recipe is inspired...
October 13th 202120K 4 hours 21 min.
Avocado mousse with sorrel
Avocado mousse with sorrel
Avocado is rarely paired with sorrel, yet they go well together as the slight acidity of the sorrel balances the smooth richness of the avocado nicely. In this recipe they are combined in a cool, fresh avocado and sorrel mousse, served here with eggy bread fingers.
July 6th 202218K 43 min.
Pear tart with almond cream
Pear tart with almond cream
This is a very quick and easy tart to make, as everything (or almost) can be done in advance. A piece of sweetcrust pastry, some almond cream and pears? You have "everything you need".
March 17th 2011358K4.3 1 hour 14 min.
Almond cream or frangipane
Almond cream or frangipane
Light and delicious, it is used in a lot of desserts like tarts, cakes and pies (epiphany galette).
January 23th 2022447K 25 44 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com

Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2024-09-22)

*Your e-mail Your first name or nickname
I am not a leaving thing
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Posted by:
I am not a leaving thing
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
I am not a leaving thing
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.

Back to top of page