Thursday 11 July 2013

Polish farmer's cheese




Polish farmer's cheese - also known as twarog or bialy ser (white cheese) is a traditional Polish cheese.  I may not be a farmer, but I am a bit Polish, and this is one of my favourite childhood food memories.  I remember my Babcia making this in her tiny kitchen when she wasn't whipping up an apple cake or singeing chicken(for chicken noodle soup!).  This is a really simple recipe and produces a wonderfully fresh cheese - somewhere between a cottage and a curd cheese.  

Once the cheese is made you can leave it plain or add your favourite combination of fresh herbs or spices.  I often mix in some chopped dill (which is almost compulsory in Polish cooking!) and a bit of lemon zest. I like to serve this cheese with a tomato and onion salad and some lovely crusty bread for a simple lunch or supper.  It also works well in sweet or savoury cooked dishes.  One of my favourite recipes using Polish farmer's cheese is this awesome summer berry sernik (Polish cheesecake) by how to eat properly.  

Summer berry sernik (Polish cheesecake) by how to eat properly
preparation time:  5 minutes + about 30 minutes draining time
cooking time:  less than 5 minutes 

ingredients:

2 litres whole milk
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
your choice of herbs and spices  

method:
  1. heat the milk until just below boiling point (there should be  a few small bubbles on the surface of the pan) then take off the heat.  
  2. add the lemon juice and leave for 5-10 minutes for the cheese to curdle and separate.
  3. drain through a sieve lined with muslin/cheesecloth.  When the whey has drained away what you are left with is the curds/farmer's cheese.  
  4. place the drained cheese in a bowl and mix in the chopped herbs/spices (if using) then store in an airtight container in the fridge.  
  5. This cheese doesn't last long - just a few days in the fridge, but I'm sure you will eat it all before that.  
Smacznego!  

I have also entered this recipe into Javelin Warrior's Made with Love Mondays over at Cookin w/ Luv

JWsMadeWLuvMondays


Serve your Polish farmer's cheese with a fresh, and Summery tomato salad




2 comments:

  1. Just saw this over at Javelin Warrior's Made With Love Monday and had to come visit. Love your name! And I fancy making this cheese. I already make paneer and labneh and this looks like something I would love to try too. Especially to make that berry cheesecake with :-)

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    Replies
    1. Thx for stopping by and your lovely comments. Please do give the recipes a try and let me know how it goes. Haven't made paneer yet - is it a similar method? Love paneer in curries.

      Have a great day :-)

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