What Is Roquefort cheese and How Can I Use It?
Roquefort cheese is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store it, what to substitute, and 28 recipes to get you started.
Key Points
- French blue cheese made from raw sheep's milk, cave-aged with Penicillium roqueforti veins.
- Sharp, salty, and peppery; use a little as a seasoning rather than a slab.
- It is among the saltiest cheeses, so taste before adding salt to any dish carrying it.
- Stir into sauces off the heat; boiling turns blue cheese bitter and grainy.
- Stilton or Gorgonzola are the closest swaps, both milder and less salty.
What is roquefort cheese?
Roquefort is a French blue cheese made from raw sheep's milk and aged in the limestone caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in southern France. The blue veins come from Penicillium roqueforti mold, which gives it a sharp, salty, peppery tang and a moist, crumbly paste.
It is one of the oldest known cheeses and carries a protected name: only cheese aged in those specific caves can legally be called Roquefort.
Sheep's milk gives it a different character from cow's-milk blues. It is richer and a little sweeter under the salt, which is why a small amount goes a long way.
How to use it
Roquefort is assertive, so treat it as a seasoning as much as a cheese.
Crumble a little over a salad and it acts like a built-in salty dressing, the idea behind a Refreshing Cobb Salad or Avocados with Roquefort.
It melts into rich sauces beautifully. Mashed into warm cream it becomes a sauce for steak, as in Stuffed Filet Mignon with Red Wine Sauce, and whipped with butter or cream cheese it turns into a Roquefort Mousse for spreading.
Add it off the heat. Like all blues it can turn bitter and grainy if it boils, so stir it into a sauce at the end and let the residual warmth melt it.
Pairing and mistakes
Blue cheese wants a sweet or rich counterweight. Roquefort sings with honey, ripe pear, figs, walnuts, and a glass of sweet Sauternes, the classic pairing born in the same region.
The big mistake is salting a dish that already carries Roquefort. It is one of the saltiest cheeses you can buy, so taste before adding any more salt, especially in a dressing or sauce.
The other is using too much.
A blue this strong overwhelms delicate food fast, so start with less than you think and add to taste.
Substitutes
Stilton and Gorgonzola are the closest stand-ins for boards and sauces, both a touch milder and less salty, so you can use a little more. Danish blue is sharper and saltier, closer to Roquefort's punch but without the sheep's-milk depth.
For a creamy dressing or dip, Gorgonzola dolce melts smoother. Whatever you pick, adjust the salt in the recipe, since these blues vary widely in how salty they are.
Buying and storing
Look for even blue-green veining through a moist, ivory paste. It should smell clean and sharp rather than harshly of ammonia. Buy it cut from a wheel when you can, since pre-wrapped wedges can sweat and turn pasty.
Wrap it in cheese paper or foil, never tight plastic, and keep it in the warmest part of the fridge. It keeps two to three weeks; the veining may spread, which is fine.
Roquefort freezes for cooking, though it crumbles more and loses some punch after thawing, so save the best of it for eating fresh.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 oz (28g)Quick facts
Where to find roquefort cheese: Roquefort cheese is usually found in the cheeses section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
Food group: Roquefort cheese is a member of the Dairy and Egg Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
- In Chinese
- 羊乳干酪
- British (UK) term
- Roquefort cheese
- en français
- roquefort
- en español
- queso roquefort
How much does roquefort cheese weigh?
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 ounce | 28 grams |
| 1 package (3 oz) | 85 grams |
Related
Dairy and Egg Products
Recipes using roquefort cheese
There are 28 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Lamb Cheeseburgers
Lamb cheeseburgers ground at home with bacon and topped with melted Roquefort blue cheese. A grown-up burger upgrade with rich, gamey lamb and salty smoke from the bacon blend.
Houemort’i juustu küpsised (Roquefort pastry bites)
Houemort’i juustu küpsised - Baked bites of roquefort cheese in a puffy pastry style bite sized crisp.
Refreshing Cobb Salad
Classic Cobb salad with chicken, bacon, avocado, egg, and Roquefort dressing. Composed salad with rows of colorful toppings over crisp lettuce, perfect for elegant lunches.
Cucumber Stuffed with Roquefort & Hazelnuts
Cucumber stuffed with Roquefort and hazelnuts is a crisp, no-cook appetizer. Hollowed cucumber halves are packed with sharp blue cheese, cream, caraway, and toasted hazelnuts for cocktail hour.
Cheese Ball #2
Three-cheese ball made with sharp cheddar, Swiss, and Roquefort, blended with garlic and Worcestershire sauce. Rolled in paprika or parsley for a bold holiday appetizer.
Fresh Pear with Roquefort Cream
Fresh pear halves filled with Roquefort cream blended with white wine and cayenne. An elegant no-cook appetizer or cheese course ready in 15 minutes.
Walnut & Roquefort Salad
Walnut and Roquefort salad with romaine, chicory, avocado, and scallions in a white wine vinaigrette. A French bistro-style salad with bold blue cheese, toasted nuts, and creamy avocado.
Chive-Cheese Butter
Chive-cheese compound butter made with Roquefort and chopped chives, rolled into a log for easy slicing. A rich, savory butter for steaks, bread, or baked potatoes.
Twin Cheese Dip
Twin cheese dip blends sharp cheddar and Roquefort with Coca-Cola, Worcestershire, and hot sauce. A retro whipped cheese spread that chills overnight for bold, tangy flavor.
Auld Alliance
A bold Scottish appetizer: creamy Roquefort cheese pounded smooth with whisky, then chilled in earthenware pots. Just 2 ingredients, 15 minutes prep, and pure Highland flavor.
Beefsteak En Roquefort En Champignons
Premium steaks marinated in a Roquefort, sour cream, and red wine marinade, charcoal-grilled and topped with butter-sautéed mushrooms. A show-stopping steakhouse dinner for a crowd.
Roquefort Meat Loaf
Roquefort meat loaf rolls a three-meat blend of beef, pork and veal around a creamy Roquefort and bread filling, jelly-roll style. Sliced like a pinwheel for a dinner-party meatloaf with serious blue cheese punch.
Roquefort & Apple Omelet
Roquefort and apple omelet with butter-sauteed apple slices and crumbled blue cheese folded inside. A French-inspired breakfast or brunch ready in 10 minutes.
Cincinnati Beer-Cheese Dip
Tangy beer cheese dip with sharp cheddar, roquefort, and a kick of Tabasco. Served in a hollowed rye bread bowl, this no-cook Cincinnati classic is ready in 15 minutes.
Gratin of Turnips & Blue Cheese
Gratin of turnips and blue cheese layers thinly sliced turnips with caramelized onion, anchovy cream, and pungent Roquefort. A bold, French-style vegetable side for dinner parties.
Bacon-Cheese Dip
Bacon-cheese dip blends Roquefort, cream cheese, sour cream, and crisp bacon with garlic and a hint of hot sauce. A cocktail-party classic ready in 15 minutes flat.
Roquefort & Cream Cheese Chicken Spread
Roquefort and cream cheese chicken spread with sour cream, cayenne, and hot sauce. A bold, tangy appetizer ready in 10 minutes flat.
French Chicken with Roquefort & Garlic
French chicken wrapped in bacon, seared golden, and oven-braised with onions and garlic, then served with a rich Roquefort cream sauce made from the pan drippings. Bold, savory, and deeply satisfying.
Hot Roquefort Canapes
Roquefort canapes with cream cheese, walnuts, and a hit of Worcestershire, melted on crackers in the microwave. Ready in 10 minutes flat for easy entertaining.
Cobb Salad with French Dressing
Classic Cobb salad with homemade French dressing: finely chopped greens arranged in tidy rows of chicken, bacon, avocado, egg, tomato, and Roquefort. The original composed salad, tossed tableside.
Roquefort Biscuits
Roquefort and cheddar cheese biscuits coated in toasted sesame seeds. Savory, crumbly bite-sized appetizers baked golden in just ten minutes.
Avocados with Roquefort
Ripe avocado halves stuffed with a bold Roquefort cheese, olive oil, and parsley mixture, garnished with sliced olives on a bed of Boston lettuce. A 5-minute French-inspired appetizer.
Trout with Sauce Roquefort
Pan-browned whole trout on a bed of mushroom-ham stuffing, draped in a foaming Roquefort and Pernod butter sauce. A classic French fish dish for a special occasion.
Roquefort Meat Balls in Sour Cream
Roquefort meatballs in sour cream gravy, made with crumbled blue cheese mixed into the ground beef and pan-fried, then simmered in a creamy pan sauce. Serve over noodles or rice.
Royal Camembert Mousse
Royal Camembert mousse with Camembert and Roquefort cheese, whipped cream, and egg white set with gelatin. A molded French cheese appetizer chilled overnight, rich, airy, and intensely savory.
Cauliflower & Roquefort Soup
Velvety puréed cauliflower soup enriched with crumbled Roquefort, heavy cream, egg yolks, and a splash of Armagnac. Herbes de Provence and chives round out this rich, deeply savory French-inspired bowl.
Roquefort Mousse
Roquefort mousse blends pungent French blue cheese with cream cheese and butter, then lightens it with whipped cream and beaten egg white into a chilled molded appetizer. Sharp, airy, and built for a wine and cracker board.
Stuffed Filet Mignon with Red Wine Sauce
Thick-cut filet mignon stuffed with crumbled Roquefort and sliced shiitake mushrooms, seared in clarified butter, and drizzled with a velvety red wine shallot pan sauce.
