Homemade Adyghe Cheese
Any cook can make this tender, soft Adyghe cheese. I once couldn't find Adyghe cheese at the store and decided to look for a recipe. It turns out you can make it at home — and it's quite simple, using the most ordinary ingredients.
Cooking method
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Step 1:
How do you make Adyghe cheese at home? Gather the ingredients you need. Note that you won't need the milk until two days later, once the whey is ready — so keep its shelf life in mind.
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Step 2:
Start making the cheese by pouring the kefir into a saucepan and setting it over the heat.
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Step 3:
As it heats, the kefir will begin to curdle and the whey will separate from the curds. This takes about five minutes.
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Step 4:
Drain the whey into a separate container. You won't need the curds — you can eat them with sugar or jam, or use them in other dishes.
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Step 5:
Leave the whey to sour for two days at room temperature.
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Step 6:
Then take the prepared milk, pour it into a pot, and bring it to a boil.
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Step 7:
Turn the heat down low. Carefully pour the soured whey into the hot milk.
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Step 8:
The milk will start to curdle. After about 7 minutes, the cheese will float to the top, separated from the whey.
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Step 9:
Take a clean pot and line the bottom with clean cheesecloth folded into several layers.
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Step 10:
Carefully pour the resulting mixture into the cheesecloth-lined pot — the whey will run through into the pot, and the curd will stay in the cheesecloth. Salt it on top, and add spices to taste if you like. Stir, then tie up the cheesecloth and hang it over the sink so the excess liquid drains off. Once most of the whey has drained, you can shape the cheese. To do that, twist the cheese tightly in the cheesecloth, trying to make as few folds as possible, and gently squeeze it.
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Step 11:
Put the wheel of cheese, still in the cheesecloth, into a colander set over a pot, place a flat saucer on top, and weigh it down with something — a jar of water, for instance. Put the cheese in the fridge along with the weight. The next day the cheese will be ready to eat; over that time the excess whey drains out and the wheel firms up nicely. Enjoy!
- Adyghe cheese has a delicate, slightly firm texture. Among its relatives are brynza, ricotta, feta, and mozzarella. It's a traditional part of Circassian cuisine. It's usually made from cow's milk, but you can also base it on goat's or sheep's milk. It has quite a wide range of culinary uses: you can eat it on its own or add it to soups, savory baked goods, vegetable salads, various appetizers, and so on. It also pairs beautifully with fruit, vegetables, fresh herbs, and pasta. You can even just fry it in butter — it comes out delicious.
- Since everyone has their own tolerance for saltiness, sweetness, bitterness, heat, sourness, and pungency, always add spices and seasonings to your own taste! If you're using a seasoning for the first time, keep in mind that there are some it's especially important not to overdo (chili pepper, for example).
- For how to choose the perfect pot for different dishes, see the article on cookware.
Caloric content of the products possible in the composition of the dish
- Whole cow's milk - 68 kcal/100g
- Milk, 3.5% fat - 64 kcal/100g
- Milk, 3.2% fat - 60 kcal/100g
- Milk, 1.5% fat - 47 kcal/100g
- Condensed milk, 7.5% fat - 140 kcal/100g
- Milk, 2.5% fat - 54 kcal/100g
- Full-fat kefir - 62 kcal/100g
- Kefir, 1% fat - 38 kcal/100g
- Low-fat kefir - 30 kcal/100g
- Doktor Bifi kefir, 1.8% fat - 45 kcal/100g
- Kefir, 2.5% fat - 53 kcal/100g
- Salt - 0 kcal/100g
