DIY halloumi

USE only the best, freshest milk for the best-tasting cheese.

Rennet, either animal- or vegetable-based, is available in liquid or tablet form at cheesemaking shops, and via online purveyors. Use filtered, bottled water, as chlorinated water is not good for cheesemaking. 1/8 teaspoon rennet ¼ cup filtered non-chlorinated water 2l full cream milk, pasteurised but not homogenised, or more as needed 1tbsp fresh lemon juice or 1/8 teaspoon citric acid 1tsp kosher or fine sea salt 1 tsp dried mint and/or dried parsley, or a combination (optional)

Combine the rennet and filtered, non-chlorinated water in liquid measuring cup.

Pour the milk into a non-reactive pot (preferably 2.8l) over medium-low heat; slowly bring the temperature of the milk to 30°C, stirring occasionally.

If its temperature rises above 30°C, remove the pot from the heat as needed to maintain the proper temperature.

Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to incorporate the rennet solution by way of an up-and-down motion (agitating).

Cover the pot, wrap it in a kitchen towel and place it in a warm spot.

If your kitchen is particularly chilly, use a thicker bath towel; the goal is to maintain warmth. (Some people either place the pot in a sink of warm water or seat the pot on a heating pad.)

Let it rest for 30 to 40 minutes (this is called culturing), until the curd is firm.

Use the palette knife to slice into the curd and pull it apart at the cut. The cut should fill with the liquid in the pot, now called whey. If the curds are loose and wobbly, fall back into the cut and look like scrambled eggs, cover the pot again (still towel-wrapped); check back in 10 minutes.

Once the curd is firm, make slices through the entire curd top to bottom, moving the palate knife across the pot in long lines 4cm apart.

Turn the pot 90 degrees and slice again, forming a grid of 4cm squares.

Let the curds rest for 10 minutes, then cut them again, this time horizontally and in multiple layers, as many times as needed to form small curds.

Stir gently, cover the pot and let the curds rest (to tighten up) for 15 minutes.

Place the pot over low heat and slowly stir the curds. They should have firmed up even further and there should be a good amount of whey, as more will have come out of the curds.

Increase the heat slowly (to mediumlow) over 20 minutes so the whey’s temperature reaches 40°C; hold it there for 15 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed and stirring occasionally.

The curds will start to look like cottage cheese.

Place a folded kitchen towel or draining mat in the bottom of a baking dish or other deep-sided container.

Use a strainer or skimmer to scoop out the curds and place them in the basket mould, using the back of your hand to gently press on the curds every time you scoop.

Fold the cheesecloth over the top and add a light weight (a filled can or jar, a bowl filled with pennies) on top of the cheese to gently press out the whey.

This is a wobbly venture, but some tactical efforts will pay off. Let the cheese drain; every few minutes, flip the cheese over, placing it back in the basket each time, replacing the weight after each turn (3 total).

While the cheese is draining, bring the pot of whey to 65°C (over mediumlow heat) and add the lemon juice or citric acid. To increase the yield of ricotta (called anari), you may wish to add an additional cup of whole milk.

Continue slowly increasing the heat to bring the whey to 87°C. Small bits of cheese will rise to the surface; this is the ricotta.

Scoop the bits out. (This will yield a few tablespoons – enough to top breakfast toast and drizzle with honey.)

Slide the pressed round of halloumi cheese into the whey that remains, which will be clear and slightly yellow. The halloumi will sink to the bottom of the pot. Let the halloumi heat in the whey, maintaining the temperature at 87°C, until it floats to the surface, at which point it is ready to be removed. This will take 20 to 30 minutes. Fill a large bowl with cool water. Use a skimmer or strainer to transfer the halloumi for a brief dunk in the water, making the cheese just cool enough to handle yet still warm and pliable. Flatten to a thickness of about 2cm, making it 20cm wide.

Sprinkle each side with the salt and the dried herbs, if using.

Fold the cheese in half to form a halfmoon. Drain on the mat for 1 hour.

Wrap the cheese well and store it for 3 hours before serving; this will allow the salt to penetrate the cheese. – Washington Post

FOURTH STEP: The cheese is lightly pressed. The author likes to season the halloumi with salt and dried herbs before she folds it in half.

THIRD STEP: The formed halloumi is returned to the whey, which has been strained and heated, and cooks for 20 to 30 minutes.

FIRST STEP: Heated milk and rennet produce curds, which are cut, allowed to rest and then heated, at which point they separate from the whey.

SECOND STEP: The curds are scooped into a basket mould lined with cheesecloth. They are weighted, pressed and drained.