11 April, 2011

Cheese

My refrigerator is full of condiments; marmalades, purees, curry paste, and homemade cheese- and there's a good reason for all of this, they can dress up the most modest of dishes. Smoked garlic puree and truffle oil elevate the simple grilled asparagus to addictive, Himalayan pink salt adds depth to popcorn or sweets, and nothing dresses up a meze platter of falafel and babaganoush like homemade marinated cheese.
Now nothing says, I have way too much time on my hands like "I make homemade marinated cheese.", and regardless of whether or not thats true, this dish simple to make and it's unique flavor and texture really add something special to platters and even simple sandwiches. The recipe allows for personal interpretations and tweaking, and though the process takes approximately 3 days, the actual assembly is extremely fast and simple.

Marinated Cheese
Prep:
1 pint of plain greek yoghurt (I used Fage 2%)
2 or 3 kebab skewers
6 coffee filters
6 rubberbands
1 large mixing bowl with the kebab skewers can span the width of

Mix yoghurt with salt and desired spices (such as dill, garlic, or paprika). Use a spoon to dollop even amounts into the center of the coffee filters. Twist the tops of the coffee filters squeezing the yoghurt into a ball. and tie off with the rubberbands while using the slack of the rubberband to hang 3 coffee filter pouches on each skewer. Suspend the skewers across the bowl and leave refrigerated for three days (pouring out the water which collects in the bowl periodically).

Marination:
2 small wide mouth jars
2 cups of olive oil
desired spices
salt

Fill the bottoms of each jar with desired spices. Below to the left we used smoked paprika, chili flakes, salt, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Below to the right we used dill, thyme and herbs du provence. Fill the jars to half full with olive oil. Remove the yoghurt from the coffee filters and divide the cheese into balls of the desired size. You may roll the cheese in herbs or spices like the below right, or for a more mellow flavor leave them plain. Carefully place the balls into the middle of the jars. Fill the remainder of the jar with olive oil. You may seal these by boiling the cans but this will solidify the cheese for a more feta like flavor and texture. For a more spreadable cheese do not seal the cans, but ensure the cheese won't got bad by keeping it fully submerged in olive oil.