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Mel i mató
Curd cheese with honey and walnuts
Mel i mató: fresh Catalan curd cheese with honey and walnuts
On the road up to Montserrat, farm women once sat at stalls selling fresh mató, a soft, mild, unsalted curd cheese, and the dessert of mató drizzled with honey became a fixture of Catalan restaurants. It is as simple as dessert gets, and best with the freshest cheese. Shop-bought mató and some ricottas are set with animal rennet; this home version is set with lemon juice instead, so it is vegetarian. If you buy cheese, check the label for a vegetarian or microbial rennet. Chef's tip: heat the milk gently and stop at 90 °C; boiling makes the curds tough and grainy.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 4 ¼ cups whole milkor half cow's, half goat's milk
- ½ cup double cream
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 tbsp lemon juicefrom about 1 lemon
- 4 tbsp honeya dark rosemary or heather honey is traditional
- 1 oz walnut halves (optional)roughly broken
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 4 ¼ cups whole milk, ½ cup double cream and 1 pinch salt in a heavy pan over a medium-low heat, stirring now and then, until it reaches 194°F: the surface steams and tiny bubbles form at the edge. Do not let it boil.
12 minStep 2: Take off the heat, pour in 3 tbsp lemon juice and stir slowly just two or three times. Within a minute the milk separates into white curds and a thin, greenish whey. If it stays milky, add another teaspoon of lemon juice.
Step 3: Leave undisturbed for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 4: Line a sieve with a clean, damp muslin or thin tea towel and ladle in the curds gently. Drain for 15–30 minutes: the shorter time gives a soft, spoonable mató; longer gives a firmer one you can slice. A common mistake is squeezing the cloth, which presses out the creaminess.
30 minStep 5: Spoon or turn the mató into a bowl, cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Serve in portions drizzled with 4 tbsp honey and scattered with walnuts. Eat within 2 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mel i mató take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 15 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.
- 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 double cream?
- Whipping cream, same amount (less rich; whips softer).
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