Making Artisan Cheese (30 page)

Authors: Tim Smith

All cheese contains protein, fat, lactose, and minerals, as well as a certain amount of moisture, based on the recipe. If you were to remove all of the moisture within any given cheese and then measure the amount of fat, you will have the Percent Maitre Gras. Whole-milk cheeses are typically considered to be around 50 percent Maitre Gras; cheeses with added cream can range from 60 to 70 percent Maitre Gras. With soft-ripened cheese, there is a good deal of moisture to the cheese, so the servings of fat per ounce are less than, say, a harder cheese such as aged Gouda.

Set one of the cheese mats on top of your drain pan, and place two cheese cloth–lined molds on the mat. Gently ladle the curds into the molds until you reach the top. Once the molds are full, cover each one with a cheese mat. Let the cheese drain for one hour at room temperature. You will notice a dramatic fall in the cheese as the whey is expelled through the sides and bottom.

Now it is time to flip the cheeses. This step is a little tricky so be careful. Work on one cheese mold at a time. Put one hand underneath the bottom mat (you will need to move the mat a little bit so you can get your hand inside the drain pan and underneath the mold), and one on top of the upper mat. Holding the top and bottom tightly, lift them up, and in one quick motion, flip them over and set them back on top of the draining pan. Check to see that the mold is not sticking by gently peeling back the mat, making sure that it does not tear the corners of the cheese.

Flip your cheeses, as described above, every hour for five hours, until they have pulled away from the sides of the molds. Gently pull the mold off the cheese. If the cheese sticks to the mold in places, slide a thin knife between the cheese and the mold to help pry it away. Lightly sprinkle the cheeses with salt, and allow them to rest for ten minutes at room temperature on a cheese board.

Place the cheeses on one of the mats, put both inside your ripening box or bag, and store it in your refrigerator at 45°F (7°C) at 85 percent humidity. After five days you should see a fine film of mold appearing on the surface. Turn over the cheeses, put them back into your ripening box or bag, and place back inside your 45°F (7°C) refrigerator. Continue to age for an additional week to ten days. By now, the cheese should have a good layer of mold on its surface. Take the cheese out of the ripener and wrap it in cheese film. Allow the cheese to continue to mature at 45°F (7°C) for four weeks.

Yield: 2 pounds (900 g)

Fromage Fort

Fromage fort, French for “strong cheese,” is a solution to the age-old question of what to do with all of the small pieces of cheese that seem to accumulate in the refrigerator. Traditionally, leftover cheeses would be mixed together and then allowed to ferment in liquid, such as milk or vegetable broth. This version is tamer than the original. Wine or oil is added to stabilize the mixture, and herbs, salt, and more wine are added for seasoning.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound (450 g) miscellaneous cheese pieces at room temperature

¼ cup (60 ml) dry white wine

2 tablespoons (28 g) butter

1 clove garlic, peeled

2 teaspoons (about 1 g) minced fresh herbs (parsley, basil, or sage)

ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT

Blender

TECHNIQUES

For illustrated steps and tools, see Advanced Cheese-Making Techniques,
page 146
.

PROCEDURE

Cut all cheese into small cubes. Combine all the ingredients in a blender, and purée. Pour the mixture into an earthen bowl, and let it chill for one hour in the refrigerator, covered. Fromage fort will last for five days in the refrigerator.

Yield: 1 pound (450 g)

Serving Suggestions for Fromage Fort

Typcially, fromage fort is used as a spread on breads, but its light consistency makes it suitable for topping steamed vegetables, baked potatoes, or any other dish that is enhanced by cheese. As fromage fort is made from any combination of cheeses, its flavor will vary from batch to batch.

Neufchâtel

There are several varieties of Neufchâtel. The most famous is Neufchâtel en Bray from Normandy, France, which is the original version. It is a soft-ripened cheese that comes in a number of shapes, most notably, in the form of a heart. In North America, Neufchâtel is a term for low-fat cream cheese, which is nice but not very exciting.

INGREDIENTS

1 gallon (3.6 L) whole milk

16 tablespoons (240 ml) prepared mesophilic mother culture, or ¼ teaspoon (about 2 ml) mesophilic direct-set culture

2 to 3 drops liquid rennet dissolved in ⅓ cup (90 ml) cool water

teaspoon
Penicillium candidum

TECHNIQUES

For illustrated steps and tools, see Advanced Cheese-Making Techniques,
page 146
.

PROCEDURE

Heat the milk to 80°F (27°C). Add the starter culture and
Penicillium candidum
and stir. Add 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of the rennet and stir gently. Cover and keep the milk out at room temperature for fifteen to twenty hours.

Once the curds have a firm texture, ladle them into a cheese cloth–lined colander. Tie the cloth into a ball, wrap the ends around a spoon, and hang it to drain over the sink or a stock pot for eight to twelve hours. The cheese should finish dripping its whey and have a firm consistency before you press it.

Place the curd bag back into the colander, and cover it with a plate with a catch bowl underneath. Press with a light weight, such as a 16-ounce (455 g) can of vegetables. Set in your refrigerator to drain for twelve hours. Remove the curds from the cheese cloth, and pour them into molds of the desired shape. When firm, take out and place in a ripening box or bag at 45°F (7°C) at 90 percent humidity. Let the cheese ripen for seven to ten days, at which point there should be a coating of white mold on the cheese. Remove cheese from the ripening box or bag and wrap it in cheese film or wax paper. Continue ripening for an additional three weeks or until the cheese has a tender give when pressed in the center. The cheese will stay fresh for three to four weeks.

Yield: 1 pounds (450 g)

Traditionally made in a heart-shaped mold, Neufchâtel is a delightfully creamy and spreadable cheese.

Crottin

Crottins (pronounced crow-tan) are small rounds of ripened goat cheese that have a pleasantly fruity flavor. Historical references to this style of cheese date back to the sixteenth century, but not until the early nineteenth century were they referred to by the word Crottin.