DID YOU KNOW?
What a pleasure it is for me to present MY version of this emblematic Swiss recipe, but in French-speaking Switzerland and even more so in Vaud!
If there's one recipe that represents this beautiful canton of Vaud, it's these malakoffs, but so what? ... What's the point of telling you yet another popular legend about the origin of this dish?
Indeed, we've all heard that this recipe was devised by Swiss soldiers serving in the French and English armies during the Crimean War from 1853 to 1856. To pass the time during the very long siege of the city of Sebastopol, proudly defended by Fort Malakoff, they improvised as cooks, frying small pieces of cheese with bread. Bad tongues say they couldn't
because they didn't have any cheese in their war ration - but so what? Couldn't family parcels or local rapine have made this possible? We'll never know!
What we sometimes tend to forget, however, is that this recipe was developed at Villa Prangins for Prince Jérôme Bonaparte by the Larpin family, who later opened an inn in Eysins.
Finally, don't be surprised to discover my stick-shaped Malakoffs. This seems to have been the original shape. The half-sphere shape is said to be the presentation of Vinzel's doughnuts.
Enjoy your meal!
