Northern cheese in the spotlight with Avesnes meatballs

Avesnes meatballs, a specialty of the North, are little known outside the region. Every morning, between 4,000 and 7,000 liters of farm milk are processed in Saint-Aubin (North). After adding several ferments, the milk is worked and stirred to change texture and become solid. Using the strength of his arms, Yann Grodzki brings out the fat until he obtains a maroilles. Once immersed in water, the cheese is salted then dried and the first molds will appear. The cheeses then mature for at least 35 days in the cellar.

Their taste is refined there, and their smell becomes more intense every day. The Avesnes boulette is different in each cheese shop. After a mixture of three maroilles, everyone has their own recipe. Yann adds tarragon and pepper. 600 meatballs are made by hand every hour. Chef Christophe Bzerovska set himself a challenge: to tame his taste, by cooking poultry in foil, stuffed with Avesnes meatballs. After a few pinches of parsley and coriander, he puts the stuffed meat in the oven for 15 minutes. He also creates a meatball sauce, garnished with seasonal vegetables.