THE CHEESE
COURSE
Legend has it that the first cheese was made
accidentally from goats milk that an Arab merchant was carrying in his saddle
bag. The jolting of his camel in the hot sun separated the milk into curd and
whey. The fact that the saddle bag was made with animal innards may have
something to do with it.
Cheese is a high protein dairy product made
from the milk of animals like cows, sheep, goat, buffalo, yak etc. There are
two methods of cheese production. In sour milk cheese lactic acid bacteria
thickens the milk and sweet milk cheeses (most cheeses are of this kind) which
are also called rennet cheeses. For this the cheese maker adds rennet an enzyme
taken from the stomach of suckling calves to separate solids in the milk from
the fluid. The rennet causes the milk protein to build up and the milk to
curdle without the milk turning sour. In this method all other solid particles
like fat, protein and vitamins get encompassed. When the process is complete
the liquid whey is drained off and the solid mass of curd or coagulated milk
protein is used to make cheese. Most of the rennet used today in cheese making
comes from the lining of a calf’s stomach.
KINDS
OF CHEESES
There are literally hundreds of kinds of
cheeses. They range in taste from mild to sharp and in texture from soft to
hard- usually referred to as soft, semi soft, firm and hard. They are also
divided into two groups Ripened (fermented with bacteria and moulds) or
un-ripened (fresh untreated). Cheeses ripened over a period of time are termed
as aged. The longer they age, the sharper their flavour and the higher their
cost.
HOLDING,
SERVICE AND STORAGE
In Europe people normally place the cheese on
a stone, cover it with a cover made of clay and store it in the coolest part of
the house.
All first class hotels normally have a
separate refrigerator to store cheese as the temperatures normally maintained
in the refrigerators are too high.
Cheeses are both held and stored under
refrigeration. Their most significant limitation is that they tend to dry and
harden when exposed to air. This means that as soon as you cut into a block of
cheese you must either use it or you must wrap it up tightly in a plastic wrap.
Hard and firm cheeses if wrapped can keep
from a week to several months if refrigerated. Even with the best of care ,
once a whole cheese has been cut it tends to dry out, get a sharper flavour,
and develop inedible moulds around the edges. Semi soft and soft cheeses keep
for about 1 to 2 weeks, The fresh cheese should not be kept for more than 1
week.
Cheeses should be served at room temperature.
Slices and bite sized pieces should be cut just before service. Once dried out
they are useless for service.
COOKING
WITH CHEESE
Cheese cookery poses no problems so long as
you keep the temperature low or the cooking time short or both. The high
protein content of cheese means that it becomes tough and stringy with high
temperatures and prolonged cooking. It’s fat content may also separate out.
Cheese used in starch infused sauces must not
be added until the thickening process is completed.
Cheese for gratinating should be added near
the end of the cooking process. A glaze administered in the salamander is
always a quick trip, whatever the product
Let’s take a look at some of the most
commonly used cheeses
CHEDDAR
Often called American Cheese, BUT it is
English and made in the Cheddar Gorge region in Somerset. It is a best seller among the cheese and is a
firm ripened type, it comes in many varieties ranging in flavour from very mild
to very sharp “rat cheese”.
It is used in sandwiches, and appetizers and
as a dessert cheese. It is also the most used cooking cheese, the one the cook
uses when the recipe says “cheese”.
PARMESAN
Another well known flavourer of salad dressings
and sauces . It is a hard ripe cheese with a piquant and sharp flavour. This is
the cheese you shake onto spaghetti, and it tastes delicious when you grate it
fresh from a hard block
BRIE
AND CAMEMBERT
Most French cheeses are soft and the luxury
end of the scale are two dessert cheeses Brie and Camembert-both almost sauce
soft. They taste much better than their aroma and rather unattractive
appearance which would lead you to beleive. But an odour of ammonia will tell
you when they are past their prime.
ROQUEFORT
It looks like marble, for its noble paleness
is patterned with blue veins and patches. It is made from sheep’s milk that is
full cream and unpasteurised. It originates from a classic sheep area in the
south of France called Roquefort sur Soulzon.
REBLOCHON
Comes from the mountains . It has a yellow
orange rind with a white mould. The elastic smooth creamy dough has a
pleasantly mild taste somewhat reminiscent of hazelnut.
GORGONZOLA
Originally produced near Milan in a town
called gorgonzola, from full cream pasteurized cow milk. It is very creamy ,
soft and marbled with blue veins. To allow the blue veining to spread through
it the cheese is punctured with long high grade needles from one side and then
a week later from the other side.
BEL
PAESE
Another delicious cheese from Italy which is
soft and yellow, sweetish and very mild. Made from pasteurized milk.
MOZZARELLA
Yet another famous one from Italy-the pizza
cheese, no pizza tastes right without this one. It is a creamy cheese made from
Buffalo milk
FETA
This is a goat cheese from Greece made from
goats or sheep’s milk and is an integral part of Greek cuisine.
STILTON
Considered the “king of Cheeses” and is the
best of all English blue cheeses and can take its place confidently alongside
the world famous Roquefort in France and Gorgonzola from Italy. Stilton is a
white cheese with a light yellow hue and a strong blue-green mold culture. The
taste is spicy and is mostly had with a glass of Port.
EMMENTHAL
Emmenthal cheese is equated with Swiss cheese
all over the world. It is made of raw cow milk and with the addition of rennet.
It is easily recognized by the large holes. The gas produced is partially
entrapped in the cheese and this causes the formation of the holes. The smoother
the production the more even and attractive are the holes. It is a mild cheese
with a nutty aroma.
GRUYERE
Another delicious cheese from Switzerland
which also has holes though they are much smaller. It’s mild when young and
sharper when older. Its basically a sharp cheese with a nutty aroma.
RACLETTE
Based on a variety of regional cheeses it was
a meal for alpine herdsmen and farmers. At some point of time we don’t know
when the cheese got too close to the fire. Melted cheese was found to be
delectable and thus the Raclette was born. Originally Raclette was limited to
just jacket potatoes and pickles. These days we have a whole new range with
chicken, meat, fish, game and vegetables count among the ingredients. A
Raclette oven or grill is indispensable. A Raclette grill has a heating element
under which you place your cheese and then serve it. Authentically the cut
surface of half the cheese is pushed towards the fire, and the melting cheese
is scraped onto the plate. The cheese is scraped with a knife . Actually it was
the knife which gave its name. Derived from French raclette means spatula or
scraper.
Cheese fondue
Switzerland attributes its standard of living
to cheese and has a great many cheese recipes of which the cheese fondue is the
most famous.
Facts worth knowing about fondue
A fondue pot with a handle is a must whether
it is made of glazed ceramic, clay or enameled cast iron. The basic recipe
contains white wine and two kinds of cheese grated or shredded, all combined
and stirred while heating. Usually emmenthal and gruyere are used in
combination as one alone would be too mild and the other alone would be too
sharp.
A little lemon juice should be added to the
wine to provide greater acidity to break up the cheese. The thickened and sharp
cheese dish is taken and served to the guest over an alcohol lamp at the table.
Guests help themselves to bite sized pieces of bread, spear a piece of bread
and dunk it into the cheese cream.
Fresh, unripened cheeses:These are cheeses which do not undergo a maturing process and include Cottage, Cream and Ricotta. In taste they are the mildest, least flavoursome of all cheeses. They are usually not salted.
Double and Triple cremes:These cheeses have been heavily enriched with cream during their manufacturing process. The double cremes have a fat content of 60 per cent, and the triple cremes a 75 per cent fat content. This makes them all exceptionally rich, creamy and luscious. Some of them do not undergo a ripening process, so they can also be classed as unripened cheeses. Petit Suisse is a case in point. Although it is not ripened, its fat content can vary between 60 and 75 per cent. Other double and triple cremes are cured for about three weeks before marketing and develop a very thin, downy rind. These include Boursault, Brillat-Savarin and Excelsior. Others such as Blue Castello and Bavarian Blue have a blue veining. While double and triple cremes can vary in flavour and style, they have in common a degree of richness and creaminess not present in other cheeses.
Bland and buttery:Into this category can be placed a great variety of essentially mild tasting, stable, all-purpose table cheeses. These cheeses are unpronounced in flavour and aroma which is not to say that they are without distinction. The range is considerable and includes the Samsoe group, Edam, Gouda, Bel Paese and Fontina. Such cheeses are usually firm and supple-textured, easily sliceable and make excellent lunch, breakfast or sandwich snacks. Many are of sufficient quality to be served at end of meals.
Swiss-style cheeses: The most famous of these is Emmentaler with its tough outer rind, distinctive holes or 'eyes' and characteristic mild, sweetish, nutty flavour. Relatives of Emmentaler include Appenzell, Gruyere, Royalp, Sbrinz and Raclette. Swiss-style cheeses usually have tough hard rinds and interiors dotted with holes. These holes are caused by expansion of gas within the cheese curd during the ripening period.
Cheddar-style cheeses:Cheddar is one of the most popular and widely copied cheeses in the world. Cheeses that are 'cheddared' undergo a step in the making process which involves them being cut into pieces and stacked and turned at the bottom of the cheese vat for a period. The archetypal Cheddar cheese is firmtextured, yellow in colour with a clean, mellow taste which develops a sharp and tangy bite the further it matures. English cheeses such as Gloucester, Cheshire, Leicester, Lancashire, Derby, Wensleydale and Caerphilly all belong to the Cheddar family. Even Stilton, a blue vein, is Cheddar based. America, Australia, Canada and New Zealand all make varieties of Cheddar in varying degrees of strength. Vermont is one of the best-known American types and the Canadian Cheddars, made from unpasteurised milk, are highly rated. Cantal is a French Cheddar-style cheese and Kashkaval is a distant Greek relative made from sheep's milk.
Extra-hard cheeses:The majority of these cheeses are the Italian Grana style. They have an exceptionally hard, brittle texture which makes them suitable for grating and are known for their exquisitely sharp, piquant flavour. Cheeses of this type can be matured for up to three years. Parmesan is the best known of the group but the Swiss Sbrinz and Sapsago cheeses also fit into the category. Saanen, also Swiss, is sometimes matured for seven years. Young versions of some grating cheeses are used as table cheeses.
Monastery cheeses:Cheeses in this group are often linked historically in that they have monastic origins. Such cheeses as Port Salut, Saint Paulin, the various forms of Trappist cheese made throughout the world, Esrom and Havarti have similarities of taste, although varying degrees of strength of flavour and aroma. Several mountain cheeses, such as Beaumont and Reblochon, are also classified as monastery type cheeses. The majority of monastery cheeses are of the washed rind variety.
Blue veins:These cheeses are characterized by their internal veining of blue, blue-black or green, and their pungent aromas and tangy flavours. All blue-vein cheeses are internally ripened after being inoculated with a Penicillium spore. They are usually classed as soft cheeses but can be crumbly in texture. Some, however, are exceptionally soft, even to the point of spreadability. Roquefort, Stilton and Gorgonzola are considered the three best blue veins in the world.
Camembert and Brie types:These cheeses are known as bloomy or flowery-rind cheeses because of the light, downy white rind that grows on their surfaces, the result of their being treated with the Penioillium candidate spore. The interior paste of this sort of cheese is soft and straw yellow in colour. If the cheese is at its peak, the paste bulges out from beneath the rind when the cheese is cut. Tangy, richly delicate and delicious in flavour, Camembert and Brie are widely copied, but the French versions, of which there are many, are generally acknowledged as the best and the most fullflavoured. Other cheeses of this type include Carre de l'Est, Coulommiers and Chaource.
Goat's milk cheeses:Distinctively different in taste to cow's milk cheeses, these cheeses come in a variety of shapes and sizes such as pyramids, cones and cylinders, all usually quite small. All have a characteristic barnyard or 'goaty' quality to their flavour, but whether this is mild or pronounced depends on how long the cheese has been aged. Some are quite delicate; others are ferociously pungent and rank. All French goat's milk cheeses are called Levees and today many are made from a mixture of goat's milk and cow's or sheep's milk.
Ewe's milk cheeses:Like goat's milk cheeses, these cheeses taste quite different to cow's milk varieties. Their flavour ranges from mild to sharp. Some are noticeably salty, the result of being matured in brine. Many of the traditional Greek cheeses fall into this category, Feta being best known. Others, like Kashkaval and Kasseri, have a noticeable 'sheepy' flavour Qa sourish tang, distinctive and attractive and, like many goat's milk cheeses, vaguely 'barnyardy'.
Spiced or flavoured cheeses:Many cheeses have their flavours enhanced by the addition of a variety of herbs and spices. Derby Sage has a greenish hue due to sage being introduced to the cheese curd during the making process (Vermont Sage is the American equivalent); Leyden is treated with caraway and cumin seeds; and Boursin, a triple-creme cheese, is marketed in flavoured versions ranging from pepper to garlic. Other cheeses may be studded with walnuts, covered with grape seeds or treated with cloves. The English are now producing several of their traditional lines flavoured with beer, wine, cider, port and chives.
Smoked cheeses:Smoked cheese is simply a cheese variety, often Cheddar or Emmentaler, which has been treated and flavoured with smoke. Most of this type of cheese is processed. It is often made in traditional sausage shapes. In most cases the smoke flavour is produced by chemicals rather than by hanging the cheeses over a fire. Smoked cheeses are often additionally flavoured with ingredients ranging from caraway seeds to a textured vegetable protein tasting like ham.
Whey cheeses:While the great majority of cheeses are made from the curds of the milk, there are some which are made from the whey. Gjetost, a cheese totally distinctive in looks and taste, is one. It has milk sugar (lactose) and cream added to it during the making process and looks like a chunk of chocolate fudge. Ricotta, already classed as an unripened cheese, is also made from whey but is basically an Italian version of Cottage Cheese. It has nothing in common, in either taste or appearance, with Gjetost except that it is a whey cheese.
Strong-smelling cheeses:Probably the best known cheese in this category is Limburger, Belgian in origin but often thought of as German due to its great popularity in that country. Cheeses that possess a truly powerful aroma are usually of the washed-rind variety. For many people the aroma is both the beginning and the end of the acquaintance. A legendary story about Limburger recounts the uproar that was created in a small town in Green County, Wisconsin, when a cartload of ripened Limburgers was left unattended in a main street. The fact is that cheeses such as Limburger, Maroilles and Livarot are extremely pungent smelling, not to say rank, and overpowering. In Limburger's case, its bark is somewhat less than its bite, for the cheese's taste is not as strong as its smell. Maroilles and Livarot, however, are both strongsmelling and strong-tasting, as are the German matured varieties of sour curd cheeses such as Harz and Mainz (the American version of this style of cheese is known as Hand). Brick and Liederkranz, the two cheeses that are considered genuine American originals, are also noted for their distinctive aromas, but unless well aged they are not overpronounced in taste.
Processed cheese:All processed cheese has its ripening process arrested at a given point by heat treatment. It is usually made from one or two cheese types blended together and can never develop the individuality of flavour of natural cheese because the micro-organisms that create such things are effectively killed off. For many people processed cheeses taste 'plastic' and innocuous but nevertheless they are enormously popularQpartly because of their keeping properties, their economy and their blandness. Today there is an enormous range of processed cheese on the market, flavoured by a staggering variety of ingredients which range from salmon to pineapple.
