This site uses only a few technical cookies necessary for its operation. By continuing to browse, you accept their use.
To find out more...
To find out more...
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.
The Canuts were the silk weavers in the area around Lyon, France. In the nineteenth century this was one of their favourite dishes.
32 K 3.5/5 (2 reviews)
1 hour 25 min.
Easy
1 kg 500 g
10 IngredientsLast modified on: August 1st 2021
For 1 kg 500 g, you will need:
- 1
1 kg 200 g cottage (or curd) cheese - 2
9 shallots - 3
6 cloves garlic - 4
chives - 5
parsley - 6
12 tablespoons liquid cream - 7
12 tablespoons olive oil - 8
12 tablespoons white (spirit) vinegar - 9
salt - 10
pepper - Total weight: 2,025 grams
Change these quantities to make:
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 25 min.
Resting: 1 hour
All in all: 1 hour 25 min.
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
Thoroughly drain 1 kg 200 g cottage (or curd) cheese: put in a strainer over a bowl and leave for at least 1 hour.
Stage 2 - 10 min.
Meanwhile, peel 9 shallots and 6 cloves garlic. Prepare the chives and parsley.
If you can, pick a few chive flowers as well.
If you can, pick a few chive flowers as well.
Stage 3 - 3 min.
Chop the shallots and garlic cloves very finely.
Stage 4 - 2 min.
Chop the parsley and chives.
Stage 5 - 2 min.
Transfer the drained cottage cheese to a bowl, add 12 tablespoons liquid cream and beat with a whisk to loosen the cheese.
Stage 6 - 2 min.
Salt and pepper, then add 12 tablespoons olive oil and 12 tablespoons white (spirit) vinegar. Beat again to mix well.
Stage 7 - 2 min.
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.
Check the seasoning.
Your Cervelle de Canut is ready.
Stage 8
You can enjoy it on fingers of toast...
Stage 9
...as an aperitif snack.
Stage 10
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.
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 recipe | 140 RDI=60 % | 120 RDI=10 % | 290 RDI=40 % | 3,620 RDI=180 % | 15,160 RDI: 180 % |
| Per 100 g | 7 RDI=3 % | 5 RDI=1 % | 10 RDI=2 % | 180 RDI=9 % | 750 RDI: 9 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 1 kg 500 g : 7.80 €
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)
Cottage (or curd) cheese
Like these other recipes: Cottage cheese tart, Frozen cottage cheese with strawberries, ... See them all 2
White (spirit) vinegar
Like these other recipes: How to prepare corn salad, Red mixed pickle, Mackerel Fillets in White Wine, Poached eggs, Fresh pasta dough, ... See them all 18
Liquid cream
Like these other recipes: Rustic chicken and mushroom pie, Eton mess, Creamy Winter Vegetable Soup, Rice and peas, Duet of creamed cauliflower and cabbage , ... See them all 170
Olive oil
Like these other recipes: Tagliatelle with cockles, Sautéed green vegetables, Coriander and cashew nut pesto, Sliced chicken with mushrooms and broccoli, Leek and tuna loaf, ... See them all 530
Other recipes you may also like
Chestnut cake
This delightful cake is doubly chestnutty: it contains chestnut flour, and sweet chestnut purée.May 8th 2020342 K5 1 hour 15 min.
Flambéd bananas
The trick of this recipe is to end up with bananas caramelised on the outside, still firm on the inside, coated with a tasty syrup which is not 95% butter.February 21th 2011333 K 14 40 min.
4 pears salad with vanilla
It's a very easy recipe, everything depends on the choice of differents kinds of pears all fully ripe, to give a delicious contrast in the mouth.February 21th 2011233 K4.2 40 min.
Brioche dough
It's a soft and rich dough, with butter and eggs which give a smooth and incredibly tasty brioche. This is the basic recipe for brioche dough, used for all other brioche-based recipes on the site.September 16th 2020534 K 44.2 14 hours 30 min.
Clarified butter
This is a way of melting butter to eliminate all the impurities. The clarified butter can then be heated without spoiling, and is more digestible. It is ideal for cooking at high temperatures where small black specks would spoil the appearance, or for emulsified sauces like béarnaise or mousseline.June 21th 2017469 K4.2 2 hours 15 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-07-27)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
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.
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.