Berthoud

Berthoud is the cheese speciality of the Chablais, less known than fondue or tartiflette but just as Savoyard. It is Abondance cheese baked in a small individual ramekin, flavoured with white wine and garlic, eaten by dipping potatoes, charcuterie or bread. Simple, quick and very characterful, it has been a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed since 2020.

A speciality of the Abondance valley

Berthoud is closely tied to Abondance cheese and its valley. It is a store-cupboard dish, born of the wish to use up a bit of cheese with whatever was on hand: wine, garlic, a ramekin. You find it mostly in the Chablais, around Châtel, La Chapelle-d’Abondance and Thonon-les-Bains. It is the dish to ask for in this part of Haute-Savoie, where it is often on restaurant menus.

The recipe

Count on about 180 g of Abondance per person and an individual porcelain ramekin.

Rub the inside of the ramekin with a garlic clove. Cut the Abondance into thin slices and lay them in the ramekin. Drizzle with a dash of dry Savoie white wine and a little Madeira or port. Pepper generously, add a touch of nutmeg if you like. Bake in an oven preheated to 220 °C for about ten minutes, until the cheese is melted and lightly golden.

Serve straight away, in the ramekin, with boiled potatoes, Savoyard charcuterie and possibly a green salad. The Madeira brings a sweet note that balances the richness of the cheese: that is the signature of the dish.

Getting it right

The choice of cheese makes everything: a real raw-milk Abondance melts well and keeps its hazelnut taste. Don’t skimp on the pepper, which wakes the dish up, or on the Madeira, which sets it apart from a plain melted cheese. Serve in individual ramekins rather than one big dish: it is the tradition, and it keeps the cheese hot and runny to the last bite.

Which wine with a berthoud

Logically, the same wine as in the recipe: a dry, lively Savoie white that cuts the fat. The Chablais crus such as Ripaille or Marin, chasselas-based, are ideal since they come from the same valley. To place berthoud among the other Savoyard dishes, see the Savoyard specialities page.