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Queijo da Serra no forno
Baked cheese with garlic and herbs
Queijo da Serra no forno: whole Serra da Estrela cheese baked with garlic and herbs, for dipping
High in the Serra da Estrela, shepherds still make Portugal's most famous cheese from raw ewe's milk, curdled with the flowers of the wild cardoon thistle, which also means it uses no animal rennet and suits vegetarians. In mountain villages such as Seia and Manteigas it is served whole, the rind cut open and the runny inside scooped onto bread, and a short bake makes it even more molten. If you use another soft cheese instead, check the label for vegetarian rennet. Raw-milk soft cheese is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system unless it is baked until piping hot throughout. Chef's tip: bake it in a dish only just bigger than the cheese, so it melts without spreading.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb Serra da Estrela cheese, or another ripe soft-rind sheep's cheesewhole, at room temperature
- 2 cloves garlicthinly sliced
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 14 oz crusty bread or broasliced and toasted
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 400°F. Put the 1 ⅛ lb Serra da Estrela cheese, or another ripe soft-rind sheep's cheese in a small ovenproof dish lined with baking paper.
5 minStep 2: With a sharp knife, cut a lid from the top rind, leaving a 1.5 cm border, and lift it off, or score a cross and peel the corners back. Push the 2 cloves garlic and small sprigs of 2 sprigs fresh rosemary into the cheese and drizzle with the 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.
3 minStep 3: Bake for 15–20 minutes, until the centre is bubbling, completely runny and piping hot when tested with a knife. A common mistake is baking too long: the cheese splits and turns oily.
18 minStep 4: Serve at once in the dish, with the toasted 14 oz crusty bread or broa for scooping, and a drizzle of 2 tbsp honey and some 1 ¾ oz walnuts if you like.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 450 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does queijo da Serra no forno take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 20 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.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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