Cheesed Off

ANNABEL LANGBEIN TRIES HER OWN HAND AT SOME DELICIOUS CHEESE TYPES.

Labne

Draining yoghurt in a sieve overnight yields a soft cheese with a creamy, unctuous texture. It will keep for more than a week in the fridge. You need to start the day before you want to use it. Mix 1 litre Greek yoghurt with 1½ teaspoons salt. Line a sieve with muslin or paper towels, add salted yoghurt and place over a bowl to drain. Place in the fridge or a cool place overnight. See recipe for spiced labne.

Makes 2 cups

Soft goat's cheese

You can also use cow’s or sheep’s milk to make this creamy cheese; use in recipes that call for creamy chèvre. In a stainless steel saucepan, place 2.4 litres whole unhomogenized milk,* 600ml buttermilk and ½ teaspoon rennet (Renco). Place over a gentle heat until it reaches a temperature of 82?C. Cover and stand overnight until curds and whey separate. Tip mixture into a sieve lined with muslin or paper towels. Leave mixture to sit in the sieve for another night, refrigerated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes about 2 cups

Paneer

This useful Indian cheese is great to add to curries and stir-fries. Boil 1 litre whole unhomogenized milk,* ensuring it does not catch on the bottom of the saucepan. Once the milk boils, reduce heat and add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar, stirring the mixture until the milk curdles. Remove from heat and stand for 5 minutes. Drain into a sieve lined with muslin or paper towels. Squeeze to remove moisture, then run curds under the cold tap and squeeze again. Shape into a ball and place on a clean board. Top with a heavy weight (a saucepan filled with water works well). Slice to serve.

Makes 1 cup

Ricotta

Follow the method for paneer but heat the milk to only 82?C before adding lemon juice or vinegar. Stir then leave off the heat for 2 hours before straining as above.

Makes 1 cup

Halloumi

Place 2 litres of whole unhomogenized milk* in a bowl and sit it in a pot of hot water. Heat to 32?C (just below blood temperature). Stir in 2 teaspoons rennet (Renco). Leave to set for an hour. Cut curd into cubes. Mix very gently with a big spoon to reduce curd into pieces about 1cm in size. Heat curd to 42?C, stirring until it forms fine clumps and feels elastic. Ladle the curd into a sieve lined with muslin or paper towels and squeeze out moisture. Press for at least 30 minutes. Halloumi is now ready to use. Makes one medium round, about 300g

• Use un-iodized salt. Discard whey.

* Whole unhomogenized milk is available in most health food shops.