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Balmoș
Balmoș: Maramureș shepherds' cornmeal cooked in sheep's milk and butter with fresh cheese
Up at the summer sheepfolds of Maramureș and the Rodna mountains, the shepherds make balmoș in a cauldron over the fire: cornmeal cooked slowly in sheep's milk and sour cream with plenty of butter and fresh sheep's cheese, until it is rich, golden and glistening. It is far creamier than ordinary mămăligă, eaten hot from the pot with a wooden spoon, perhaps with a glass of buttermilk. Use pasteurised milk; if you cannot find sheep's milk, whole cow's milk works. Caș and brânză de burduf are usually made with animal rennet, so use a fresh cheese labelled vegetarian, such as a mild ricotta-style or vegetarian feta. A common mistake is stopping too soon: keep stirring until the butter starts to separate and shine on the surface, which is the shepherds' sign that it is done. Chef's tip: serve it with a few spring onions and a glass of buttermilk.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 7 oz sour cream
- 2 ⅞ oz butter
- ½ tsp salt
- 7 oz medium cornmeallabelled gluten free if needed
- 7 oz fresh sheep's cheese (caș) or salty brânzăvegetarian, crumbled
- 4 spring onions (optional)to serve
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put the 3 ¼ cups pasteurised sheep's milk or whole milk, 7 oz sour cream, half the 1 ⅜ oz butter and the ½ tsp salt in a heavy pan and bring slowly to a simmer over a medium heat, stirring so it does not catch.
6 minStep 2: Rain in the 7 oz medium cornmeal in a thin stream, whisking constantly, until it is all in and no lumps remain.
3 minStep 3: Switch to a wooden spoon, lower the heat and cook, stirring often, for 20 minutes. It will thicken quickly and then turn smooth, glossy and golden.
20 minStep 4: Stir in the rest of the 1 ⅜ oz butter and keep stirring for 3–5 minutes, until little pools of butter separate and glisten on the surface.
4 minStep 5: Fold in the 7 oz fresh sheep's cheese (caș) or salty brânză until it starts to melt into strings. Serve hot straight from the pan, with 4 spring onions.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 640 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 47 g
- Fat
- 41 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does balmoș take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of pasteurised sheep's milk or whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of sour cream?
- Greek yoghurt, same amount.
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