“Le Sandwich Mont d’Or” usually refers to a delightful French winter dish where the seasonal Mont d’Or cheese, a creamy, pungent cheese from the Jura mountains, is baked in its wooden box with garlic and white wine, then scooped out with crusty bread or potatoes, acting like a rich, decadent fondue, not a traditional layered sandwich. It’s a rich, communal meal perfect for dipping bread cubes, cold cuts, or pickles when the weather turns cold.
The Cheese: Mont d’Or (or Vacherin Mont d’Or) is a soft, seasonal cow’s milk cheese wrapped in spruce bark, sold in a round wooden box.
The “Sandwich”: Instead of a sandwich, you bake the cheese, making a cross in the top and adding garlic/wine/herbs, turning it into a warm, gooey dip.
The Dippers: You then dip bread cubes (often from the hollowed-out bread loaf), boiled potatoes, cornichons, or charcuterie into the melted cheese.
Prepare: Remove the label from the Mont d’Or box, make a cross cut on top, and insert sliced garlic and a sprig of rosemary.
Add Liquid: Drizzle with dry white wine and maybe a bit of honey.
Bake: Place the box in the oven (around 180°C/350°F) for 15-20 minutes until bubbly and melted.
Serve: Eat immediately with crusty bread or boiled potatoes for dipping.
It’s a hearty, comforting French experience, not a quick cold sandwich!.