Whitesmoke

[StuartD]

For Christmas this year I wanted to make something special to share with friends and family, and while thinking about ways to make my cheese better reflect local ingredients and terroir, I came up with an idea for a cheese that I've named Whitesmoke. I promptly made 4 of them and they turned out brilliantly.

It's a soft, white-mould ripened cheese, ashed and salted with hardwood-smoked salt from a nearby small producer, with a line of smoked paprika through the middle. The milk was pure jersey, from a small dairy just 10 minutes drive from my house.

The idea was to make a cheese that embodied summer and Christmas in Queensland, Australia. So I was thinking bushfires, smoky campfires and BBQs, and hazy sunsets. And it worked. Sure, the recipe needs a few tweaks (more salt, less paprika, etc), but it was damn tasty.

The pic below was taken early in its life. When New Year's Eve rolled around and we polished off the last one, the middle had turned lovely and soft and gooey.

[awakephd]

Wow! What an innovative and delicious-sounding idea! Definitely deserves AC4U.

P. S. Good to see you back, even under an alias!

[olikli]

This deserves +C for the looks alone! I'm not a fan of cheese with "stuff" inside, generally, but this looks very well executed.

[SOSEATTLE]

I tried something similar a few months ago: http://threeringfarm.com/October%20-%20Sunset%20Bay.htm and thought it was delicious  . I made a cheese inspired by this one with cow's milk and in pyramid (Valencay) molds. Due to a family emergency didn't get a chance to photograph and had to rush it a bit and eat it before having to go out of town. It was good, but I preferred the goat's milk version. I thought that the goaty flavor paired better with the smoked paprika. I hope to try again with goat's milk at some poing.


Susan

[OzzieCheese]

Stuart that is a great cheese - well done.  Would there be any chance of a recipe.  Smoked Salt ! Never heard of it - well there you go another amazing facet to think about.
A Cheese for yours.  Very Nice.
--- Mal

[Mermaid]

Beautiful cheese!

How strong was the smokey flavor from the salt? Was it noticeable?

[StuartD]

Beautiful cheese!

How strong was the smokey flavor from the salt? Was it noticeable?

It was very subtle, so I think I'll use a little more salt next time.

[Andrew Marshallsay]

Congratulations and another cheese for something really innovative.

[Boofer]

I tip my hat to you, Stuart. Something entirely new & different. Beautiful execution. Certainly deserves a cheese.

Now...where's the recipe/make instructions?

-Boofer-

[Al Lewis]

I love experimenting Stuart.  You're cheese looks awesome and I'm sure tastes just as good!  AC4U