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e01n -> RE: Arrrrrrrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhhh! (9/3/2007 6:52:51 PM)
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Cheesemaking 501: Since She has problems with the idea of eating something other than cow milk, this "haloumi" is best left in quotes. It's made with a single kneading to develop the protein chains, but not much more - I want it to melt nicely when it gets hit with the brandy flames. I almost always deal with "just" acidic reactions rather than rennet - less mess and better bacterial resistance to most of the "icky" varieties.
The recipe is simple. In fact, I almost hate calling it a recipe: whole milk, preferably local and organic (farmers' market). For every quart, the juice of 1 lemon. Heat the milk just shy of a scald, add a pinch of sea salt and slowly add the lemon juice (like making mayonnaise). Stir. Keep stirring. Stir like your life depends on it. Grab a naughty misbehaving sub and make them stir... you get the idea. Curds will form and the whey will go from white to cloudy to mostly translucent. At this point, pour into a cheesecloth-lined colander and let the whey drain off. Keep draining for a couple of hours...
At this point, you have paneer - an Indian cheese much like fresh mozzarella. Press the cheese down and continue to drain it and it gets firmer. Kneading will develop the internal texture after further draining & pressing. Eventually, it will get firm enough to hold it's own shape without the cloth. Keep letting it drain and dry out and eventually you'll have something similar to the first hard dry monastery-style cheeses (Grana Padano, Parmiggiano, Romano etc) - but that will take months...
Cheesemaking's got it's own flavor of D/s to it, y'know...
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