Tvorog (Farmer Cheese)

ส่วนผสม

MAKES ABOUT 1KG (2LB 4OZ)

4 lites (140fl oz) full-fat (whole) milk, preferably organic and unhomogenized

500ml (17fl oz) kefir or yoghurt, preferably organic with gut-friendly bacteria (half of each is also fine)

วิธีทำ

Pour the milk into an extra-large, lidded, ovenproof stockpot and gently heat to 35°C/95°F. Turn off the heat. Stir through the kefir or yoghurt. Cover with a lid and place in a warm spot for 24 hours.

After about 24 hours, when the milk mixture has curdled, preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Use a knife to score through the curd a few times, in all directions. Cover with a lid and place the pot in the oven for about 20 minutes, then check to see if whey has formed and separated from the curds. Once it has, switch off the oven and leave the tvorog to cool inside, still covered with the lid. It's ready for the next steps when you can see there is a solid cheese mass.

Place the tvorog into the centre of a large piece of muslin

cloth (cheesecloth) in a colander over a bowl and leave to drain for around 8 hours. After 8 hours, bring the edges of the cloth together and squeeze it tightly over the bowl (save the whey - it can be stored in a jar in the refrigerator and used in recipes like the Blinchiki on page 22).

Once you've fully squeezed the whey from the tvorog, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

หมายเหตุ

ws rin kaine sne th ohnepoe ede by heaing mik.and ading Tvorog, syr in Ukrainian, is a curd cheese made by heating milk and adding kefir or yoghurt - it is a staple throughout Eastern European cuisines. Many versions are found at markets in Belarus and Ukraine, but it is often made at home using cow's or goat's milk. Nowadays we make our own because i's easy to make and, once ready, it can be used in many ways, as you'll

see throughout the book, I also really love it simply as is, topped with some

soured cream and mixed berries.