Lactic cheese, there's just something about that name. It sounds so...technical, or biological, or something. I guess cheese is very much those things, but I prefer monikers of historical or geographical significance, graced with whimsy, even. But lactic? Must I? Well, I suppose...
But one thing this cheese does have going for it is simplicity. Heat milk to temperature, add culture and rennet, mix well, and leave it until tomorrow. Can't really get much easier.
For this trial, I misguidedly thought the room temperature was just that, which is what this cheese needed (72 degrees). As it has warmed up a bit, by San Francisco standards, the furnace was retired days ago and the cheese stood alone. And nearly 24 hours passed (12 longer than suggested by the recipe), and the milk had less than fully coagulated before I was informed of my error in judgement. Yes, the cheese spoke.
And not only that, it was less than generous with me. A gallon of whole milk yielded less than 1 pound (rather than the expected 2), which by volume came to just under two cups. This was my first attempt at such a cheese and had little idea what to expect. The result: pleasantly piquant (make that extremely, though still pleasant, like a very active-cultured yogurt) smooth and rich in the mouth, but not heavy. I suppose I could've allowed it to drain further, but I wanted a softer, creamier texture.
But I didn't know what to do with it. It didn't seem "ready." On it's own not altogether exciting, it needed something more than just the ole salt, pepper, and herb treatment. Then I remembered coming across a recipe for labneh, a Middle Eastern (Lebanese) yogurt cheese commonly served (or marinated) with olive oil, herbs, and spices.
Perfect. This lactic cheese was very much like the consistency of drained yogurt (or so I thought). Now, I would only need a jar-like accoutrement and some olive oil (I decided to marinate this one). Forgoing any seasoning at this step, I wanted to remain true to the cheese itself with only the additional flavor of olive oil; I began spooning up the soft cheese.
Um, yeah, this may not work. The gooey cheese barely fell off my spoon, and if it had, I largely imagined the eventuality of one big smear of cheese drenched in oil. (That might not be so bad, actually.) So I filled the bottom of my glass container with a generous pool of olive oil and scooped up dollops of cheese large enough for gravity to help me do the rest. Keeping each little gob separated by olive oil, I dropped the last bit into the dish.
I tucked the container into my cheese cave (i.e. my temperature-controlled dorm fridge) for the next 7 days, anxiously awaiting the next taste. I'm not sure where temperature played a roll here, as my "cave" is kept at approximately 10 degrees higher than your every day home fridge. I would have expected the flavor to develop even further, perhaps becoming more intensely sharp. Instead, the cheese had mellowed. It was tart at first, just as I had remembered, but it finished very softly. Still rich and creamy, and ever so slightly more coagulated. It did need salt, that's for sure, so with that I was generous. Fresh ground pepper, a rough chop of parsley, a fiery drizzle from a jar of oil-packed (hot!) little peppers, and now you're talkin'...
Sorry, I really shouldn't talk with my mouthful.
The following recipe is for yogurt (rather than lactic) cheese. You'll get similar results with much greater ease.
Yogurt Cheese in Olive Oil
inspired by 80 Breakfasts
1 quart plain yogurt (without stabilizers)
Kosher salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, at least one cup
Black peppercorns, dried chilies, herbs, garlic cloves, the choice is yours (and optional)
2 sq ft (more or less) fine cheesecloth or butter muslin
1 colander
1 bowl (to go under the colander)
1 Large Mason jar or glass or ceramic bowl for storage
1. Line a colander placed over a deep 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.
2. Allow the yogurt to drain in the refrigerator for at least 6-12 hours (or longer, even), depending on the consistency you desire. Once the cheese has reached the desired texture, remove it from the cheesecloth and place in a clean bowl. At this point you may add any salt, pepper, herbs and spices to the cheese, otherwise they will be added to the oil in the next step.
3. In a large Mason jar, or similar container, pour a generous quantity (enough to coat the bottom with at least ¼ inch) of good quality olive oil (something you enjoy the flavor of). With a clean spoon, scoop up a dollop of cheese and drop into the oil. If you have a drier textured cheese, lightly roll the cheese into balls before dropping into the oil. Drizzle oil over each layer before adding more to the container to help keep the balls of cheese separated. If you are adding flavorings (herbs, spices, etc.) you may choose to do so between layers, otherwise, lay them in at the top when you have finished with the cheese.
4. Add olive oil to cover and seal the container airtight with its accompanying lid or plastic wrap.
5. Store in the refrigerator for at least 5 days to allow the flavors to meld.
6. To serve, spoon out some of the cheese and oil into a dish and garnish with salt, pepper, and herbs if desired. Spread on toast, crusty bread, or crackers, and enjoy! Remaining cheese (covered in olive oil) will keep in the fridge for weeks.
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