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Kochkäse
Cooked cheese spread
Kochkäse: Hessian and Franconian melted quark cheese with caraway
In Hesse, the Odenwald and Franconia, Kochkäse is the spreadable cooked cheese that farm kitchens made from leftover sour-milk curd. Dry quark is left to ripen for a day or two until it turns slightly yellow and smells tangy, then melted with butter, bicarbonate and caraway into a glossy, stretchy spread. It is eaten on rye bread for Abendbrot, often with onion and vinegar on top, and in Hessian pubs alongside cider. Most quark is set without animal rennet, but check the label if that matters. The common mistake is heating it too fast, which makes it grainy instead of smooth. Chef's tip: keep stirring over a low heat until no white flecks remain, then pour it into a jar while it is still runny.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb full-fat quarkdrained well in a cloth
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 ⅜ oz butter
- 3 ½ tbsp double cream
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 small onion (optional)finely chopped, to serve
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Tip 1 ⅛ lb full-fat quark into a cloth-lined sieve and squeeze out as much whey as you can. It should be dry and crumbly.
5 minStep 2: Crumble it into a bowl, mix in ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda and leave in a warm place, covered, for 2 hours (or overnight in a cool room) until the edges look slightly yellow and translucent.
3 minStep 3: Melt 1 ⅜ oz butter in a small heavy pan over a low heat and add the quark, 3 ½ tbsp double cream, 1 tsp caraway seeds and ¾ tsp salt.
3 minStep 4: Stir constantly over a low heat for 12–15 minutes until the quark melts into a smooth, glossy, stretchy cheese with no white lumps. Do not let it bubble hard.
15 minStep 5: Pour into a clean jar or dish and leave to cool; it sets to a soft spread. Keep in the fridge for up to 5 days and serve on rye bread with 1 small onion.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kochkäse take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 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 bicarbonate of soda?
- Baking powder, three times the amount (the bake may taste slightly different).
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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