2.24.2008

What Exactly IS Quark?

Have you ever tasted quark? I haven't. What inspired me to make somthing I was so unfamiliar with? I haven't got a clue. Maybe it was because I was on a make-cheese-on-the-furnace kick. But while I am certain that I did not end up with quark, I am positive that I made something tasty. In the end, anyway.

First of all, my only knowledge of quark was from the old stomping grounds. We had a quark souffle at the restaurant that was quite a signature of our up-and-coming Pastry Chef. When the staff would ask, "What is quark?" I would explain that it is a fresh cheese originating from Europe with a texture and flavor between that of a cream cheese and sour cream. I have no idea where I got this explanation. I think I had translated it from chef-speak coming out of the kitchen, or maybe I just made it up all together. But I never tasted it. Wait. Not true, I was given a "taste" by the most humble of proportions; it was so frugle that I was not able to form any new opinions other than those which I had been fed. Like I said, I haven't (really) tasted quark.

And so, I set out to make quark and I'm not quite sure what I ended up with. The texture was very dry (but creamy); I let it drain far too long. It was also rather piquante. As described in one of my cheese making books, quark is less sour than yogurt. I'm not so sure about that in this case. Maybe I let it sit on my furnace for too long, or maybe the excessive draining only exagerrated the present flavors. I've got a whole lot of "maybes" workin' here.

Nonetheless, I decided to doctor things up a bit. Added some dried herbs, salt, cayenne, and a small clove of garlic smashed into a paste. Mixed thoroughly, and voila! I made Rondele (insert trademark here). You know, that whipped, flavored cream cheese-like mixture that you find in the deli section of most grocery stores, is horrendously bad for you, and one of my many junk food weaknesses. This one is similar to the garlic and herb flavor, I'd say.

After sitting in the fridge overnight, allowing the flavors to come together, it was ready to taste. Yum! This stuff goes great with crackers, spread on sandwiches, and hold up(!), I think I found a low-fat substitute for cream cheese (this stuff is made with whole milk instead of cream or half and half). That could get dangerous.


Garlic and Herb Quark
inspired by Making Artisan Cheese by Tim Smith

1 Gal whole milk (non ultra-pasteurized)
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 tsp salt
2 tsp dried herbs (your preference – chives, parsley, basil, tarragon, etc.)
1 garlic clove, mashed into a paste*
Pinch cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

1 microwave safe bowl (no plastic or melamine)
1 instant read thermometer (you can find this in any cooking store, some markets, and online)
2 sq ft (more or less) fine cheesecloth or butter muslin
1 colander
1 bowl (to go under the colander)

1. In a sanitized, microwave safe bowl, heat the milk to 88°F (on 100% power this only takes a few short minutes, check after 2 minutes and then every 30 seconds thereafter). Naturally, if you don’t have a microwave, this can be done in a clean pot and transferred to a sanitized bowl after heating.

2. Stir the buttermilk into the heated milk and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Leave the milk to ripen at room temperature for 24 hours. *This is where I diverged. I decided to place the bowl in a warm spot, on my furnace (seriously, it’s not that hot), just like I had for the cream cheese I was making at the same time. This could account for the more tart than expected flavor. I made this choice because room temperature in my apartment this time of year is below “room temperature.” I’m wonder if this would have worked at a cooler temperature (?). Try it, get back to me.

3. After 24 hours, check for proper coagulation. Gently lean the bowl on its side; if it does not move, you are ready to move on. If there is still some movement, the cultures need more time to develop; allow the cheese to sit and check it again in 6 to 12 hours. Once you have a firm mixture, move on to the next step.

4. Line a colander placed over a catch bowl with cheesecloth. Spoon half of the curd into the cheesecloth and add a sprinkle roughly ½ tsp of salt over the surface. Then add the remaining curds to the cheesecloth and another ½ tsp of salt.

5. Tie the corners of cheesecloth and together in a knot and hang the bag of curds to drain for 2 hours. Next, transfer the bag back into the colander to finish draining in the refrigerator overnight (or longer if a stiffer, drier texture is desired).

6. Once the cheese has reached the desired texture, remove it from the cheesecloth and place in a clean bowl. Scatter the dried herbs evenly over the surface of the cheese, add the garlic clove, cayenne, salt and black pepper (be conservative - you need less than you think) and mix well. Return the cheese to the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld. Before serving, taste again for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if desired.

Hey, if you thought that was easy, try the cream cheese!


*To mash the garlic into a paste (without the help of a garlic press), add a pinch of kosher salt to a roughly chopped garlic clove and mash the garlic between your knife and the cutting board until it is…paste. Or, watch this.

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