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Chongos zamoranos
Milk curds in cinnamon syrup
Chongos zamoranos: milk curds poached in cinnamon syrup, from Zamora, Michoacán
Zamora in Michoacán gave its name to chongos, soft knots of fresh milk curd slowly poached in their own whey with sugar and cinnamon until the syrup turns golden and the curds turn springy. They are served cool in small glass bowls after Sunday lunch, and jars are sold at roadside stands across the Bajío. Traditionally the milk is set with animal rennet; use a vegetarian rennet (microbial or plant-based) to keep it vegetarian. Chef's tip: never stir after the curds form, only tilt the pan, or they break into crumbs.
- Total time
- 195 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 8 ¼ cups whole milk (not UHT)
- 1 tsp vegetarian liquid rennetcheck strength on the bottle
- 2 tbsp cold water
- 2 egg yolks (optional)
- 10 ½ oz sugar
- 3 cinnamon sticksbroken
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Warm 8 ¼ cups whole milk (not UHT) in a wide, heavy pan over a low heat to 99°F, just blood warm. Whisk in the 2 egg yolks if using.
10 minStep 2: Dilute 1 tsp vegetarian liquid rennet in 2 tbsp cold water, stir it into the milk for 10 seconds, then cover and leave undisturbed off the heat for 45–60 minutes until set like a soft jelly that breaks cleanly when you lift it with a knife.
50 minStep 3: Cut the curd into 6 cm squares with a long knife. Scatter 10 ½ oz sugar between the squares and tuck in the 3 cinnamon sticks.
5 minStep 4: Set the pan over the lowest heat. The curds will shrink and release a whey that turns into syrup. A common mistake is letting it boil hard, which makes rubbery chongos; it should only tremble.
5 minStep 5: Cook very gently, uncovered, for 2½–3 hours, tilting the pan now and then but not stirring, until the curds are springy and pale gold and the syrup has thickened slightly and turned amber.
170 minStep 6: Cool in the pan, then transfer the chongos and syrup to a dish and chill. They keep 5 days in the fridge.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chongos zamoranos take?
- About 195 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 180 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of whole milk (not uht)?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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