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L’Auberge Chez François Herbed Cottage Cheese Spread

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By Jenn Segal
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This blend of cottage cheese, sour cream, garlic and fresh herbs makes an irresistible spread.

Bread topped with a cottage cheese spread.

(Photo by Alexandra Grablewski, Chronicle Books 2018)

My first job out of culinary school was as an apprentice at the acclaimed L’Auberge Chez François, a romantic French restaurant right outside of Washington, DC. If you’re from the area, you’ve likely spent a special occasion there. If not, just imagine an Old World style cottage in the rolling hills of Virginia, dining rooms appointed with cozy fireplaces and traditional Alsatian decor, an old-school French menu featuring the likes of escargots, foie gras, and Chateaubriand, and a whole lotta charm. It’s a very special place.

However, I found out pretty quickly that working there wasn’t quite as romantic as dining there. The restaurant has a large, European-style brigade kitchen with the chef at the helm and all the cooks “manning” their stations. Not only was I the only woman, at five feet two inches tall, I was also hopelessly undersized for the massive equipment that surrounded us. I had to get lifts on my shoes just to reach the plates over the stove—and don’t even ask about those fifty-pound sacks of potatoes! If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to cook in a restaurant kitchen, just imagine trying to juggle multiple orders in your head, cooking on four different burners with food in the oven at the same time, flames, sharp knives, hot pans, and the incessant stream of orders coming in and going out. It was terrifying!

I did eventually get the hang of it, and though I never once forgot what a privilege it was to work there, I have to admit that I’m much happier to be a guest at Chez François now. One of the nicest parts about dining there is all the unexpected treats that show up at your table throughout the meal, like decadent chocolate truffles after dessert, sorbets garnished with candied violets in-between courses, or my personal favorite, the Herbed Cottage Cheese Spread that comes with a basket of toasted garlic bread while you peruse the menu. It’s a blend of cottage cheese, sour cream, garlic, scallions, and fresh herbs that’s irresistible—the perfect beginning to an always perfect meal.

“This was beyond delicious. I served it for a girls cocktail night and then couldn’t stop eating the leftovers the next day…Three friends asked for the link to the recipe that evening!”

Anna

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L'Auberge Chez François Herbed Cottage Cheese Spread

Adapted from The Chez Francois Cookbook by Jacques E. Haeringer

This blend of cottage cheese, sour cream, garlic and fresh herbs makes an irresistible spread.

Servings: 2⅔ cups
Total Time: 15 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound 4% small-curd, cream-style cottage cheese
  • ⅔ cup sour cream
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced shallots
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced green onions or chives
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced parsley, plus more for garnish
  • Garlic bread or crackers, for serving

Instructions

  1. Combine the cottage cheese and sour cream in a medium bowl and blend well. Add the remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly and adjust seasonings. Cover and chill well before serving. Serve with toasted garlic bread or crackers and garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Serving size: About 1/3 cup
  • Calories: 95
  • Fat: 6g
  • Saturated fat: 3g
  • Carbohydrates: 3g
  • Sugar: 2g
  • Fiber: 0g
  • Protein: 7g
  • Sodium: 368mg
  • Cholesterol: 20mg
Nutritional Data Disclaimer

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

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  • We love this restaurant (spend every anniversary there) and this dip is amazing. Thank you so much for letting us in on the recipe!

  • This is the best spread. I loved it when eating there and now I can make it!

  • The Carte Room downstairs at the Harvard Faculty Club used to serve a complimentary dip that tasted just fantastic, but the recipe was never revealed. Your list of ingredients sounds remarkably enticing and may just be the same dip. I’m dying to get the ingredients and try it out. I always had it washed down with a Heinekin, but I bet I could savor it all day long with various liquids.
    Thank you so much for at least my anticipation of great enjoyment.
    Eliz

    • Hi Elizabeth, I’m not sure if this is the same dip but it’s a wonderful and unique recipe…I hope you’ll try it and let me know what you think.

  • This was great! Thanks for sharing this recipe.

  • My family and I have been going to L’Auberge Chez Francois since the mid-80’s. It is one of the most special places on earth!

    Thank you for posting this recipe. I’ll have to whip up a batch this weekend and dust off my copy of the cookbook as well.

  • Can you use yogurt instead of sour cream?

    • Marie, I’d definitely stick with sour cream.

      • I absolutely despise low fat cooking of any kind, but I have to say that Fage plain Greek yogurt, not the fat free kind, is amazingly good in cold recipes. You can’t heat it, but on a potato or in a dip it’s outstanding.

  • Thanks for telling the real behind the scenes story! I often toy with the idea of going to culinary school, having worked in many kitchens and restaurants. But then I remember getting yelled at by the pastry chef I worked for one summer, and every other chef for that matter, and I come back to reality. It’s got to be the closest thing to working on the floor of the NY Stock Exchange that there is.

  • Love Chez Francois and love this spread. Thank you!!

  • Working behind the scenes is never as romantic! 🙁
    Love the dip

  • Oh WOW! Bookmarked!

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