Recipe of the week: Creole Cream Cheese Evangeline
Nothing evokes passionate memories of long-ago delicacies like the mention of Creole cream cheese. Once a staple of the summer kitchen, it came about more by necessity than invention. Creole cream cheese was the end result of a hot, sultry climate, non-existent refrigeration and Creole tradition against waste.
When the milk clabbered the solids separated from the whey. The whey was drained off and the curds were hung in a muslin bag to drain. The concentrated cheese left in the bag was creamy and tangy then became the focus of a traditional Creole breakfast or brunch.
Creole Cream Cheese is a delicious and easy home-made cheese that will evoke the flavors of times past in the Big Easy.
Note: The rennet tablets can be obtained at a pharmacy
Ingredients
- 2 rennet tablets (or 6 to 8 drops liquid rennet)
- 1 gallon (4 quarts) skim milk
- 1 cup butter milk
Instructions
Dissolve the rennet tablets in ½ cup of warm water, stirring.
In a large glass or stainless steel bowl, combine the skim milk, buttermilk and rennet mixture. Stir to mix and cover with plastic wrap.
Let stand at room temperature for 24 to 36 hours, until the mixture separates into whey and curds. The large white curds will sink to the bottom of the container, while the watery, mostly clear whey will rise to the top.
Line a colander with 2 layers of slightly dampened cheesecloth, letting 2 inches hand over the edges of the colander. Place the colander over a large bowl and slowly pour in the curds and whey. The whey will drain off through the colander, leaving the curds in the colander to continue draining and solidifying. Cover the colander with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 48 hours. Use as directed in the recipe or keep in the refrigerator until needed, up to 1 week.
Top the Creole Cream Cheese with fresh fruit, and you have the perfect snack!
You can find this recipe, and more like it in Arnaud’s Cookbook, by Kit Wohl