Making Artisan Cheese (19 page)

2 teaspoons (about 5 g) dried chives

2 teaspoons (about 5 g) dried onion

TECHNIQUES

For illustrated steps and tools, see Intermediate Cheese-Making Techniques,
page 82
.

PROCEDURE

Heat the milk to 90°F (32°C), then gently stir in the starter culture and cover. Let the milk ripen for forty-five minutes. Add the annatto coloring, stirring to distribute evenly. If you are using homogenized milk, add calcium chloride.

Maintaining the target temperature of 90°F (32°C), add the diluted rennet, and stir for one minute. Cover and let it set for forty-five minutes. Use your finger or a knife to check for a clean break (see
page 83
), and use a curd knife to cut through the curds.

Cut the curds into ¼" (6 mm) cubes. Maintaining the target temperature, stir the curds for twenty minutes. Gradually raise the temperature of the cheese to 104°F (40°C). This should take about thirty-five minutes. Stir frequently to keep the curds from matting. Once the target temperature is reached, maintain for thirty minutes, stirring continually. Let the curds rest for five minutes in the water bath.

Line a colander with sterilized cheese cloth, and rest the colander in a deep bowl. Pour the curds into the colander and drain for several minutes, until the whey no longer drains freely. Pour the curds into a 2-pound (900 g) cheese-cloth-lined mold. Cover one corner of the curds with cheese cloth, top with a follower, and press at ten pounds for fifteen minutes. Remove
the cheese from the press, and slowly unwrap it. Turn it over, rewrap with the cheese cloth, and press at thirty pounds for ten minutes. Repeat this procedure, pressing at forty pounds for two hours. Repeat again, pressing at fifty pounds for twenty-four hours.

Cotswold, a traditional English cheese, has a firm texture and is flavored with chives and onions.

Remove the cheese from the press and take it out of mold. Unwrap the cheese cloth, and place the cheese on a board. Let it air-dry at room temperature, turning twice daily until it is dry to the touch (usually within two to five days). Wax the cheese if desired, or allow the cheese to form a natural rind, brushing frequently to remove any unwanted mold. Ripen in a refrigerator for one to three months at 55° F (13°C) and 80–85 percent humidity. Turn weekly.

Yield: 2 pounds (900 g)

Cantal

Cantal is often called the oldest of French cheeses due to the fact that historical references date back 2,000 years to Ancient Rome. This cheese is named for the Cantal Mountains in the Auvergne region of France, a rugged area that is blessed with fertile land and a rich cheese-making tradition. Cantal is sometimes called the French Cheddar, because it shares some similar flavor characteristics; it is sweet and light when young, and vigorous and earthy when aged. Unlike Cheddar, however, it lacks some of the tangy acidic notes.

INGREDIENTS

2 gallons (7.6 L) whole milk

4 tablespoons (60 ml) mesophilic mother culture, or ¼ teaspoon (about 2 ml) direct-set culture

teaspoon calcium chloride diluted in ¼ cup (60 ml) cool, unchlorinated water (see
page 72
)

¾ teaspoon (about 4 g) liquid rennet, or ¼ tablet dry rennet diluted in ¼ cup (60 ml) cool, unchlorinated water

2 tablespoons (36 g) cheese salt

TECHNIQUES

For illustrated steps and tools, see Intermediate Cheese-Making Techniques,
page 82
.

PROCEDURE

Heat the milk to 90°F (32°C), then gently stir in the starter culture and cover. Let the milk ripen for forty-five minutes. If you are using homogenized milk, add calcium chloride. Keeping the milk at 90°F (32°C), add the diluted rennet, and gently stir for one minute. Cover and let it set for forty minutes or until a clean break (see
page 83
). Use a curd knife to cut through the curds and check for a clean break.

Cut the curds into ¼" (6 mm) cubes, and stir for twenty minutes to keep the curds from matting.

Line a colander with cheese cloth or butter muslin, rest it on top of your drain bowl, and pour the curds into the colander. Drain for twenty minutes, making sure that enough whey remains to keep the curds moist. Pour the curds back into the cooking pot and add the cheese salt. Using your hands, blend well and break apart any large clumps that have formed. Let rest in the pot for ten minutes in the water bath to maintain the target temperature.

What Can Go Wrong

Look at this ugly thing! But, as the saying goes, you can’t judge a book by its cover—believe it or not, this cheese is still salvageable. So what happened? Quite simply, the mold took over the surface of this cheese, and had itself a field day. To restore this cheese, begin cleaning its surface by scrubbing with a nylon bristle brush that is rinsed continuously in brine solution. Once this is done, be diligent about washing down the cheese at least once a week. Next, clean out any ambient mold in your cave by washing down its walls with brine solution. Finally, make sure that you have a fan running in the cave, as mold thrives in still air. If this problem continues, then the humidity in the cave is too high. The humidity can be reduced by opening the door to the cave for ten minutes every day.

Fill a cheese cloth–lined mold with curds. Have your catch bowl in place, because there will be a lot of whey in the curds. Cover a corner of the curds with the cheese cloth, and press at twenty pounds for thirty minutes. Remove the cheese from the press, keeping it wrapped in cheese cloth, and let it sit on a cheese board at room temperature for eight hours. This step is unique to Cantal and allows for the lactic acid to build up, giving the cheese its unique rich flavor. After eight hours, mill the curds into ¼" (6 mm) pieces. Return the curds to the mold, and press at forty pounds for two hours. Remove the cheese from the mold and cheese cloth, turn it over, and rewrap with the cheese cloth. Press at fifty pounds for twenty-four hours.

Take the cheese out of the mold and unwrap it. Allow the cheese to airdry on a wooden board for several days, turning every four hours. When the cheese is dry to the touch, it is ready for ripening. Ripen in a refrigerator at 45°F to 55°F (7°C–13°C) at 80–85 percent humidity for three to six months. Turn the cheese over and wash it daily with a mild salt solution of 2 tablespoons (36 g) salt dissolved in 1½ cups (360 ml) water.

Yield: 2 pounds (900 g)

Artisan Advice

Typically, the cheese known as Chantal comes in three sizes and is named accordingly. Cantal weighs eighty-eight pounds (40 kg), Petit Cantal weighs forty-four pounds (20 kg), and Cantalet weighs in at twenty-two pounds (10 kg). For the home cheese maker I modified the recipe, reducing the size down to a two-pound (900 g) round. For a more dramatic presentation, and a better-looking cheese, double the recipe.

Halloumi

Halloumi is traditionally made with goat’s or sheep’s milk, with the addition of mint. When using cow’s milk, you can add lipase to give it some of the tangy flavor associated with goat’s and sheep’s milk. A versatile cheese, Halloumi is best known as a grilling cheese, though it can also be broiled and served with fresh lemon.

INGREDIENTS

2 gallons (7.6 L) whole milk

4 tablespoons (60 ml) mesophilic mother culture, or ¼ teaspoon (about 2 ml) mesophilic direct-set culture

teaspoon (about 1 g) calcium chloride diluted in ¼ cup (60 ml) cool, unchlorinated water (see
page 72
)

½ teaspoon (about 3 ml) liquid rennet, or ¼ tablet dry rennet diluted in ¼ cup (60 ml) cool, unchlorinated water

½ cup (145 g) cheese salt

Brine solution (see
page 86
)

1 teaspoon (about 1 g) dried mint, rehydrated in ½ cup (120 ml) boiling water

TECHNIQUES

For illustrated steps and tools, see Intermediate Cheese-Making Techniques,
page 82
.

PROCEDURE

Heat the milk in a double boiler to 86°F (31°C), then add the starter culture and blend for two minutes.

Maintaining the target temperature of 86°F (31°C), add the rennet, stir for one minute, and let rest for forty minutes, or until a clean break (see
page 83
). To test for a clean break, use a curd knife to make one cut through the curds.

Cut curds into ½" (about 1 cm) cubes, trying to keep them as uniform as possible.