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Dulce de leche cortada
Sweet milk curds in syrup
Dulce de leche cortada: Cuban sweet milk curds in cinnamon syrup
Dulce de leche cortada is a farmhouse sweet from the dairy country of central Cuba: milk is split with lime juice, then cooked slowly with sugar and cinnamon until the curds turn soft, golden and chewy in a caramel-coloured syrup. It is served cold in small dishes, and it is quite unlike the smooth Argentine dulce de leche. People often stir too much once the milk splits, breaking the curds into grains, so stir gently and only to stop it catching. There is no rennet here; lime does the curdling. Chef's tip: add the lime to the milk while it is warm, not boiling, and leave it untouched for 10 minutes, which gives large, tender curds.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 1.5 litres whole milk
- ¼ cup lime juiceabout 3 limes
- 9 oz sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 1.5 litres whole milk in a large, heavy pan over a medium heat until steaming and small bubbles form at the edge, about 176°F.
10 minStep 2: Turn off the heat, pour in ¼ cup lime juice and give one slow stir. Leave untouched for 10 minutes, until the milk has split into curds and yellowish whey.
10 minStep 3: Add 9 oz sugar, 2 cinnamon sticks and 1 pinch salt and bring back to a simmer over a medium-low heat, stirring gently just to dissolve the sugar.
Step 4: Simmer for 60–70 minutes, nudging the base occasionally with a spatula, until the whey has reduced to a thick, amber syrup and the curds are golden and chewy.
65 minStep 5: Stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract, cool, then chill for at least 2 hours. Serve cold in small bowls. Keeps 5 days in the fridge.
120 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dulce de leche cortada take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 80 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?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of lime juice?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
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