After 7 attempts, I managed to make a delicious, fresh, and creamy smoked cheese, better than the one I remember from the '80s.
Recipe for smoked cheese
Made a lot of smoked cheese back in the ’80s, and when I was about to start again, here on Sjællands Odde, I couldn’t remember the recipe as I never documented it.
After the 7th attempt, I succeeded, and I even think that I have made a smoked cheese that is significantly fresher and creamier than the one I remembered. See the recipe here.
Servings: persons
Smoked Cheese
After 7 attempts, I managed to make a delicious, fresh, and creamy smoked cheese, better than the one I remember from the '80s.
Ingredients
- 2 l Whole Milk
- 206 gram Buttermilk Can be substituted with buttermilk
- 20 gram Water With 2 drops of rennet
- 6 gram Salt
- Caraway To taste
Instructions
- Start by heating the milk to 80° and then cool it to room temperature, preferably in a cold water bath. Add the buttermilk and stir.
- Add the rennet water and stir.
- Let the mixture rest for 24 hours without any disturbances, as this could cause the mass to separate. Now, cut the fresh cheese into cubes with a sharp knife and transfer it to a colander lined with a tea towel, and gently stir in the salt. The fresh cheese must now drain for at least 24 hours until it is firm; this takes place in the refrigerator.
- Place the fresh cheese on a fine-meshed net
- Smoke the fresh cheese to taste until a suitable color is achieved, 6-9 minutes.
- Use hay or straw to ignite and fresh nettles to dampen the flames. After fifteen minutes, you may optionally sprinkle caraway seeds and optionally a lot of chopped chives.
- The fresh cheese can now be kept for 3-4 days in the refrigerator without any further additives, and the whey can, for example, be used to bake bread.
- The smoke should be yellowish and at a temperature of 30-40°.
Notes
As a net, I use a splash guard which is really easy to work with; also for cleaning.
Smoking can be done in many ways, and there is no method better than the other, it's only the imagination that sets the limits. For example, put a bit of sawdust or straw at the bottom of your smoker or grill, ignite it, and when there is a good flame, lay nettles or other fresh shoots or herbs on top to create thick smoke. You can also use a cement pipe or a bucket, just avoid galvanized items. I personally use my bonfire grill along with a cement sewer pipe.
Smoking can be done in many ways, and there is no method better than the other, it's only the imagination that sets the limits. For example, put a bit of sawdust or straw at the bottom of your smoker or grill, ignite it, and when there is a good flame, lay nettles or other fresh shoots or herbs on top to create thick smoke. You can also use a cement pipe or a bucket, just avoid galvanized items. I personally use my bonfire grill along with a cement sewer pipe.