Cheese calculator
Winemaking
Halloumi is a white, springy, semi-hard cheese with a smooth texture and a slightly salty taste, often sold in semicircular blocks. It is made from sheep's milk or a mixture of sheep's, cow's, and goat's milk. True Halloumi cheese comes from Cyprus, and Cyprus holds the exclusive right to its production and name. Apparently, the average Cypriot consumes 8 kg of Halloumi per year. The cheese is perfect as a snack. Because it does not melt when heated, it is particularly recommended for frying and grilling.
Recipe for Halloumi-style cheese
Preparation:
- Pour the milk into a pot, heat it to 32-35°C, add bacterial cultures for cheese (Gouda-type) dissolved in approx. 50 ml of water at a temperature no higher than 32°C. Turn off the heat and leave for an hour.
- After this time, add calcium chloride dissolved in approx. 30 ml of warm water. Heat the milk to 38°C, add rennet and mix thoroughly — briefly but vigorously.
- Turn off the heat again and leave for another hour, and when a curd forms, cut it into 2 cm cubes. The cubes can also be cut diagonally.
- Gently mix everything. Transfer the curd to a press lined with a cheesecloth or onto a sieve and leave to drain.
- When the cheese is firm, cut it into slices approx. 1.5 cm thick and about 7x7 cm in size (as the curd mass allows and so that the pieces can be easily placed on the grill).
- In a pot, prepare water at 75-85°C, then gently place the pieces of cheese in it. Poach the cheese at this temperature for about 20 minutes — watching to see if the pieces slowly float to the surface.
- Meanwhile, prepare cold water and, after poaching, put the pieces of cheese into it to cool.
- Prepare a brine and place the cheeses in it for 2 hours. After this time, remove and leave to drain overnight or for at least 4 hours, preferably in the refrigerator.
- Using a cheese mat is recommended here.
Before grilling, season the cheese pieces with your favorite spices. Once the pieces have drained and become firm, they are perfect for the grill. Just grill them for a few minutes on each side. During this time, a delicate, golden-brown crust should form, and the cheese inside should become elastic, soft, but not runny.
