Russelnod.com

When I made this at home the day after the class, I ended up using organic milk that I had on hand, and the curds were very soft. I let them sit for 10 to 12 minutes and they still fell apart. I eventually was able to form them into a ball the size of a softball. The flavor was good.

A more detailed version of this recipe appears on Carroll’s Web site, www.cheesemaking.com.

¼ rennet tablet or ¼ teaspoon liquid rennet
¼ cup cool nonchlorinated water, plus an additional ½ cup
1½ teaspoons citric acid
1 gallon whole milk (not ultrapasteurized)
1 to 2 teaspoons kosher salt, sea salt or other large-crystal salt

Crush the rennet tablet and dissolve it in the ¼ cup cool water and set aside.

In a large pot, dissolve the citric acid in the ½ cup cool water. Stir in the milk, then heat to 88 degrees Fahrenheit over a medium flame. When it reaches that temperature, take the pot off the heat, add the rennet solution and stir gently for ½ minute. Allow the curds to set for 5 to 8 minutes. The curds will look like custard and the whey will be a yellowish liquid.

Cut the curds into 1-inch cubes with a knife that reaches to the bottom of the pot. Use four cuts: lengthwise, crosswise and two at 45-degree angles. Lift the curds into a microwaveable bowl and pour off the whey that forms. Microwave for 1 minute on high, then drain off any additional whey. Add the salt and knead quickly with a spoon or your hands to form a ball. Microwave for 35 seconds and work again. The curds will be hot; they need to reach 135 degrees internally in order to stretch. When they stretch like taffy and the curd is shiny, it is done.

Place the cheese in ice water until cool. Eat immediately or wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Try sandwiches of mozzarella and fresh basil and tomatoes. In the winter, you might top some mesclun greens with mozzarella and drizzle it with olive oil and a few drops of balsamic vinegar.

You can form the curds into balls of different sizes. If you like, marinate them in good extra-virgin olive, chopped herbs, garlic, chopped chili peppers, etc. for a few hours. Use small balls for tapas or party appetizers.

You can also stretch the curds into a sheet. Place the sheet on a piece of plastic wrap and strew with your choice of basil leaves, oil-cured sun-dried tomatoes, chopped olives, roasted red peppers, chopped oregano, pieces of roasted garlic, prosciutto, etc. Roll jellyroll-fashion into a tight log, then wrap it well in plastic wrap and cool in ice water. Store in the refrigerator. To serve, remove the wrap and slice the roll crosswise.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 4th, 2008 at 10:55 pm and is filed under Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.