“Boursin has a great texture,” says Carmine di Giovanni, managing partner at David Burke Hospitality Management. “It doesn’t have that outside layer of skin like brie or camembert and sometimes that skin that can give off a mouthfeel some people don’t like—Boursin has a great, smooth flavor and there aren’t many people who don’t like it.”
Di Giovanni and his team use Boursin in Beer Battered Cheese Curds at 1776 by David Burke, but Boursin also appears in menu items across the David Burke Hospitality Management footprint in applications like gnocchi, stuffed jalapenos, and omelets.
“For a chef that’s short staffed, Boursin is a product that doesn’t have to be manipulated at all.”
“The versatility is great,” di Giovanni says. “It’s a product that tastes good, you can use it in anything. You can toss it on toast, serve it naked on a cheese board with honey and good bread, or throw it in a rigatoni sauce—there are so many ways to use its great flavor in menu items that are really very simple.”
Beyond being craveable and versatile, di Giovanni says Boursin meets the moment due to its ease of use. It’s an ingredient that requires zero prep, yet it can still take menu items up a notch—consider that 1776 by David Burke is a popular upscale eatery that likes to use the cheese and has a menu with main plates ranging from $31 to $55.
“For a chef that’s short staffed or working with young chefs and cooks coming up, Boursin is a product that doesn’t have to be manipulated at all,” di Giovanni says. “In current times, it’s a great product because of that. Wherever you might use butter, you can substitute Boursin into a sauce and make a beautiful dish and charge x, y, or z for it, and you’ll pique people’s interest. They’ll love it, and when labor is sparse, products like that open up your wheelhouse to be able to make something great.”
For more on Boursin and other versatile cheeses, visit belbrandsfoodservice.com
