Adyghe cheese is a traditional Circassian dish and is usually made from whole cow, sheep or goat milk. This Caucasian product has a mild milky taste. It does not require aging and is used as food immediately after preparation. Adyghe cheese goes well with fresh herbs and vegetables, it can be smoked or fried.
How to make Adyghe cheese from whole milk and kefir
You will need:
- 3 liters of whole milk,
- 20 g table salt
- 1 liter of kefir.
Manufacturing process step by step
First, pour the kefir into a saucepan and put it on fire. In the process of heating, the whey in it will begin to separate from the curd. Pour it into another container and leave to sour for 2 days at room temperature. The strained cottage cheese can be used at your own discretion.
Boil fresh whole milk after 2 days. Add the previously fermented whey to it and reduce the heat to low. The milk protein will begin to separate gradually, after about 7 minutes the cheese will float freely to the surface by itself.
Strain the resulting mixture through cheesecloth folded in 4 layers and squeeze well. Salt the resulting curd, stir and leave for a while in a suspended position to drain excess moisture.
After that, put the product under a press and leave it in the refrigerator for about a day. During this period, periodically drain the water that will stand out from the cheese. After this day, the Adyghe cheese will be ready, you can eat it right away or use it in the preparation of other dishes.
Cooking Adyghe cheese by fermenting with yogurt: a quick recipe
You will need:
- 1 glass of yogurt
- 2 liters of fresh whole milk,
- some salt.
Place a saucepan of milk on the stove and slowly bring it to a boil over low heat. With constant stirring, add yogurt in portions to the milk. Continue boiling until the whey is almost transparent.
Then strain the mixture through a colander. Leave the cheese in it for about 1 hour. This time is enough for excess moisture to come out. Transfer the cheese to a prepared mold and sprinkle with salt on top. After that, ready-made Adyghe cheese can be consumed immediately. It must be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly closed container.
Adyghe cheese in a slow cooker
You will need:
- 3 liters of milk
- 4 chicken eggs
- 1/2 cup curdled milk
- 1 bunch of parsley and dill,
- 80 g of shelled walnuts.
Step by step cooking
Before you start preparing cheese, put the milk in a warm place for a day. Separately in a bowl, beat the eggs and salt and pour them into the multicooker bowl. Add sour milk there and mix everything well.
Switch on the Baking mode in the appliance and set the timer for half an hour. At the end of the program, let the mixture cool for 5 minutes. Then strain it through a double layer of cheesecloth.
Grind the walnuts with the chopped herbs in a blender. Combine them with the cheese curd left in the cheesecloth. Place the mass under a press and refrigerate for 6 hours. After that, the cheese will be ready.
Adyghe cheese from cottage cheese at home
You will need:
- 1 liter whole milk
- 3 eggs,
- 1 kg of fat cottage cheese (9%),
- 120 g butter
- 20 g salt
- 12 grams of baking soda.
Cooking process in stages
Boil fresh milk and add cottage cheese to it. Wait for the mass to boil again, then reduce the heat and cook the mass for 30 minutes, stirring it occasionally.
After half an hour, strain the contents into another pan through one layer of cheesecloth. After that, let the cottage cheese lie on it for 3 minutes so that the liquid finally comes off.
Transfer the resulting curd to a bowl, add eggs, soda and butter to it, then mix everything thoroughly until smooth. Put the prepared product back in a saucepan and cook it over low heat for 10 minutes.
Lubricate a clean container for storing cheese from the inside with the remaining butter. Transfer the still warm curd mixture to it. Wait until it cools down and then put the container in the refrigerator for 3 hours. The cheese can be cut and served.
A classic recipe for Adyghe cheese from Circassian cheese makers
You will need:
- 4 liters of pasteurized milk
- 15-20 g of salt
- 700 ml acid whey,
- various spices.
Production technology
The process of preparing a product according to this recipe usually takes several days. Ferment the whey in advance. Bring milk gradually to a boil over low heat.
Inject the serum. The mass will begin to separate into liquid and solid fractions. Continue heating until the liquid is almost clear. Cover the colander with gauze and strain the cheese mass through it, lightly pressing down with a slotted spoon to speed up the process.
Let the remaining clot sit for another half hour. Grate the resulting cheese on both sides with salt, transfer it to a colander and soak for 3 hours, turning it over to the other side every half hour.
After that, transfer the cheese to a plate and put it in a cool place for 12 hours. During this time, it will mature, take on a certain shape and partially harden. Now ready cheese can be eaten.
Diet version of the Adyghe cheese
You will need:
- 1.5 liters of milk,
- 8 g citric acid
- 10 g salt
- 1 tsp. basil and dried chili.
Step-by-step cooking
Heat the milk, but don't boil it. The temperature should be such that you can touch it with your finger and hold it for 2 seconds. Add citric acid to it and stir. After that, flakes of milk clot will begin to appear.
Strain the contents of the saucepan through cheesecloth and wait for all the whey to drain. Mix the remaining cottage cheese with dried spices, wrap it in clean gauze and place under a press for 3 hours, for example, under a two-liter jar of water.
Prepare the brine. To do this, take 1 cup of whey left over from straining and add salt to it. Put the compressed cheese in this brine and leave it there overnight.
In the morning, ready-made dietary Adyghe cheese will be ready. Use it to make salads, sandwiches, and more.
A simple recipe for making Adyghe cheese
You will need:
- 6 liters of milk
- some salt
- several grains of pepsin.
Cooking process
Buy pepsin in advance at the pharmacy, it is sold as a cheese leaven. Pour the milk into a large saucepan and heat to 70C. Add pepsin to it, stir and leave covered for 2 hours. Put the saucepan over low heat and heat for 10 minutes with constant stirring.
Mix the resulting mass and pour it into a colander covered with 4 layers of gauze. Strain the curd for about 15 minutes. Transfer the remaining curd to a clean colander and place over a deep bowl, pressing down on top with a small weight.
Put the entire structure in a cold place for 7-8 hours, after which the Adyghe cheese according to a simplified recipe will be ready.
Adyghe cheese recipe with sour cream
You will need:
- 7.5 liters of natural milk,
- 2.5 kg sour cream (25%);
- salt.
Heat the milk in a saucepan, not boiling. Add sour cream slowly with constant stirring. Put the cheese mass on a sieve and wait until the liquid is completely drained from it. In this case, the product must compact under its own weight pressure.
After that, lightly salt the curd on all sides and transfer to a container. In a tightly closed container, the finished product can be stored for a long time in the refrigerator.
This version of the Adyghe cheese is very useful to eat. It contains a huge amount of vitamins, minerals and organic acids in a form that is maximally assimilated for the body.
