Frederic Melton
Aligot is a French comfort food that combines mashed potatoes with generous amounts of melted cheese. The dish is native to the Aubrac region in the south of France and is traditionally made with Tomme de Laguiole or Tomme d'Auvergne cheese. However, these cheeses can be challenging to find outside of France, so alternatives such as Gruyère, mozzarella, and Lancashire cheese are often used. The choice of cheese is crucial, as it significantly impacts the final result, with the ideal cheese being mild, slightly tangy, and easy to melt.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Traditional cheese used | tomme de Laguiole (tomme fraîche), or tomme d'Auvergne cheese |
| Other cheeses used | Cantal, mozzarella, Laguiole, Gruyère, Lancashire, Cheshire, cheddar |
| Cheese characteristics | Mild, with a lactic tang, not too much salt, melts easily |
| Potato type | Yukon gold, Rooster, maris pipers, desiree, waxy |
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What You'll Learn
The best cheeses for aligot
Aligot is a French dish from the L’Aubrac region, made by blending cheese into mashed potatoes. The choice of cheese is important and strongly affects the result. The authentic cheese to use is a French cheese known as 'tomme fraîche', or 'tomme' cheese. However, tomme cheese is not easily available outside France, so other cheeses with similar melting properties are often used.
Tomme de Laguiole or Tomme d’Auvergne are the traditional cheeses used to make aligot. These fresh soft cheeses are known for their melting qualities, but they are hard to find outside the south of France. Other French cheeses, such as Cantal, can also be used in place of tomme.
If you can't get your hands on any French cheese, there are some suitable alternatives. A combination of Swiss and Gruyère cheese provides a good mix of meltability (Swiss) and deep flavor (Gruyère). Mozzarella is another popular alternative, as it has similar melting qualities to the traditional tomme cheeses. It can be used in combination with Gruyère or on its own.
For those in the UK, a comparison of cheeses found that creamy Lancashire cheese was the best alternative. This is because it has a mild, lactic tang and melts easily, which are important qualities for the cheese used in aligot.
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The history of aligot
Aligot is a French dish of mashed potatoes blended with butter, cream, crushed garlic, and melted cheese. It is a fondue-like dish that is native to the L'Aubrac (Aveyron, Cantal, Lozère) region in the southern Massif Central of France. The name "aligot" may have been derived from the Occitan "alicouot", from the Latin "aliquis", or from the Old French "harigoter".
The dish is believed to have originated in the 12th century in Southern France. According to legend, three bishops walked into a roadside inn, each bearing a different ingredient: one had butter, the second had milk, and the third had potatoes. None of them were particularly talented cooks, so they asked a local mountaintop cheesemaker (a "buronnier") to prepare a dish for them by combining the ingredients. The resulting mixture was a success, and the dish was named "aligot". However, it is unlikely that potatoes were used in the original recipe, as they would have been a foreign and occasionally illegal food in France for several centuries after the 12th century.
A more plausible origin story suggests that aligot was first created by local monks providing shelter to Christian pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. When the pilgrims requested something to eat ("aliquis" in Latin), the monks served them a thick soup of bread and cheese. After potatoes were introduced to France in the 16th century, they were added to the dish, creating the modern version of aligot.
Today, aligot is considered a speciality of the Occitan region and is commonly served in Auvergne restaurants, typically accompanied by Toulouse sausages or roast pork and Auvergne red wine. It is also enjoyed during village gatherings and celebrations as a main dish. The choice of cheese is important and can significantly impact the final result. While traditional varieties include Tomme de Laguiole (tomme fraîche), Tomme d'Auvergne, Cantal, and Laguiole, these cheeses can be difficult to find outside of France. As a result, other melting cheeses such as Gruyère, mozzarella, and creamy Lancashire are often used as substitutes.
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How to make aligot
Aligot is a French comfort food classic, a cheesy twist on mashed potatoes. It is traditionally made with Tomme de Laguiole or Tomme d’Auvergne cheese, although these fresh soft cheeses are hard to find outside France. Other melting cheeses like Gruyère and mozzarella can be used instead.
To make aligot, you will need:
- Potatoes (starchy or waxy, depending on the texture you want), or Yukon gold potatoes for their delicate texture and creamy, buttery flavour
- Butter (unsalted, to control the amount of salt in the dish)
- Cream
- Cheese (see above for options)
- Salt and pepper
- Garlic (optional)
First, cook and mash the potatoes. Make sure that they are nice and smooth. Put the potatoes into a Dutch oven or large skillet. Stir in the butter and cream with a wooden spoon over low heat until fully incorporated, about 5 minutes.
Next, add the cheese and keep stirring with a wooden spoon for 10 to 15 minutes. You are looking for the potatoes and cheese to fully mix together and for the mixture to become elastic. Test by pulling a spoonful of the mixture up and out of the pot – it should resemble molten cheese.
Finally, season with salt and pepper and serve warm. Aligot is traditionally served with Toulouse sausages or roast pork, and Auvergne red wine.
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The science behind aligot's texture
Aligot is a French comfort food that combines mashed potatoes with melted cheese, resulting in a rich, stretchy, smooth, and silky texture. While the dish traditionally uses Tomme de Laguiole or Tomme d'Auvergne cheese, these cheeses are challenging to find outside of France. As a result, alternative cheeses with good melting properties, such as Gruyère, Swiss, mozzarella, and Lancashire, are often used to achieve a similar texture.
The choice of potato also plays a crucial role in the final texture of aligot. Most recipes call for a waxier variety, like Yukon Golds, as they create a creamier and denser potato purée that complements the melted cheese. Old potatoes are also recommended as they have lost some moisture and are less firm, contributing to the desired texture. Additionally, the potatoes are cooked in heavily salted water and mashed with butter to enhance their flavour and texture.
The key to achieving the signature stretchy texture of aligot lies in building up the glutinous starch in the potatoes. Unlike other mashed potato dishes where overworking the potatoes can lead to glueyness, aligot relies on this starch development. The potatoes are mashed and then vigorously mixed with melted cheese, creating a smooth and elastic texture. The continuous stirring over low heat ensures that the cheese melts evenly and contributes to the stretchy consistency.
Furthermore, the addition of heavy cream is essential to the texture of aligot. Cream contains a unique suspension of fat globules that gives aligot its characteristic semi-liquid, soupy consistency. Substituting cream with other dairy products like yogurt can alter the texture as yogurt has higher acidity and different bacterial cultures. Thus, for those seeking a lower-lactose option, it is recommended to use lactose-removed cream to maintain the authentic texture.
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Alternatives to tomme fraîche
Aligot is a French dish made from mashed potatoes blended with butter, cream, crushed garlic, and melted cheese. It is traditionally made with Tomme de Laguiole (Tomme fraîche), or tomme d'Auvergne cheese. However, these cheeses can be hard to find outside of France, so various alternatives can be used.
One alternative is to use a combination of Gruyère and mozzarella. Gruyère has a melty texture and nutty flavour, while mozzarella brings a spectacular stretch to the dish. Another option is to use a mixture of Comte (or Swiss Gruyere) and plain Scarmoza (or yellow cow's milk mozzarella). These alternatives are suggested by a chef who notes that the milk from Australian cows does not have the same properties as the milk from Aubrac cows, which is crucial to the pH and flavour of the cheese.
Emmentaler, or French Emmental de Savoie, is another option that can bring a suitable texture and flavour to Aligot. This Swiss cheese is known for its large holes, and its mild, slightly sweet flavour can complement the other ingredients in the dish.
In addition to these options, some recipes suggest using Cantal cheese, which is produced similarly to Tomme fraîche. A young Cantal is recommended if Tomme fraîche is unavailable.
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Frequently asked questions
Aligot is traditionally made with tomme de Laguiole (tomme fraîche), or tomme d'Auvergne cheese.
Tomme cheese is native to the Aubrac region in the south of France.
Substitutes for tomme cheese include Gruyère, mozzarella, Lancashire, and cheddar.
Tomme is a soft cheese known for its melting qualities.
A good substitute for tomme that is available in the UK is creamy Lancashire cheese.
