Comte cheese adds flavor of French bistro

French bistros are popping up all over, and New York City has one that has helped popularize the cuisine of southern France. What’s a bistro? An intimate cafe or bar specializing in down-to-earth, no-nonsense cooking.

At Nice Matin on West 79th Street, chef/partner Andy D’Amico insists on and prides himself on using authentic flavors and ample portions. His Deluxe Comte Cheeseburger uses real Comte, a gruyere-type cheese identified by the bell logo stamped in brown on the rind or in green for the “Comte Extra.” (Look for it when you’re cheese-shopping.) Comte has to meet stringent quality standards before it can bear that symbol. The European Union has declared it a regional product with Protected Designation of Origin certification.

Bear in mind that this cheeseburger, calling for 2 pounds of meat for four burgers, is a man-size meal, but you can, as I did, make them thinner and come up with five or six. In that case you’ll want to increase the cheese slices.

Salads too are popular bistro fare, so enjoy a Salade Comte.

Deluxe Comte Cheeseburger

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon finely minced garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

2 pounds ground chuck

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 sandwich rolls, halved

8 slices Comte cheese (about 8 ounces)

4 leaves radicchio or red-leaf lettuce

4 tomato slices

In small bowl, combine mayonnaise and garlic; set aside. In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender, about 10 minutes; reduce heat to low; cook until very soft and golden, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes; remove to a small bowl.

Meanwhile, gently shape beef into 4 burgers; sprinkle both sides of each with salt. In large skillet, over medium heat, cook burgers until well-browned on both sides and done as desired, about 12 minutes for medium. About 1 minute before burgers are done, place 1/4 of the onion and two Comte cheese slices on each burger. Cover skillet, if necessary, to allow Comte cheese to melt slightly. To serve: On bottom half of each roll, place a burger and a dollop of the garlic mayonnaise. On cut side of roll top, place a radicchio leaf and a tomato slice. Serve with green salad, if desired. Yield: 4 servings

Salade Comte

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon each salt and ground black pepper

12 ounces green beans

4 cups mixed salad greens

8 ounces Comte cheese, cut in 1/4 -inch-thick matchsticks (about 4 cups)

2 medium-sized tomatoes, cut in wedges

2 hard-cooked eggs, coarsely chopped

In a cup, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper, set aside. In saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil; cook green beans until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes; drain and transfer to medium-sized bowl. Toss green beans with 1 tablespoon of dressing; cool. Spread greens on serving platter. In rows, arrange Comte, tomatoes, green beans and chopped eggs. Drizzle with remaining dressing. Yield: 4 portions