I thought I posted this when I made it but I couldn't find it. It is the creamest, sweetest, tastest melt in your mouth cheese I ever ate. This is one of my research recipes and it's only 5 months old.
I was ging to make pizza but I didn't have an more cheesse. Well not mozzarella anyway. I can't believe I am out but everyone grabs that first because they know what it is. Anyway. I went down to the cheese cave and grabbed a semi hard cheese to make pizza with. A 5 month old Caciotta del Filetto Rosso (cheese of the red thread). This was made with raw milk and some saffron threads.
I have to say this was the best cheese and best pizza I ever ate! The cheese is soooo creamy and rich it melts as soon as it hits your tongue. It has a mild creamy almost mild cheddar/gouda like taste with a hint of saffron that just lights up your taste buds. It does not have that slight bitter after flavor of cheddar. Amazingly wonderful flavor. You have to try making this cheese if you make anything. I don't usually get excited about food but this is an awsome cheese and easy to make (if you don't try using the edam moulds).
The first is a shot of the cheese, I took after I had put it away already. It was an after thought. After I ate the pizza. There is no coloring in this cheese. You can see a spec of the safron in the upper right corner.
Caciotta del Filetto Rosso (of the red thread) - Italy
Caciotta del Filetto Rosso - Italy - ( caciotta of red thread)
Sheep's (70%) and cows' (30%) whole milk cheese, with semi-cooked curds, cylindrical in shape with a low base and with rounded sides.
Ingredients:
milk
Danlac Probat 222 or Mesophilic Type B or Flora Danica
rennet
A pinch Red Saffron threads
Procedure:
Geographical area: the entire territory of the province of Pesaro and Urbino.
The cheese is historically made in the area defined, as confirmed by the many mentions dating back to the Renaissance. In particular, the name "Casciotta" traditionally refers to the product obtained by specific techniques maintained according to local established practices.
The milk, obtained from whole sheep's and cows'milk with the addition of saffron is brought to a temperature of 95°F (35°C) with gentle stirring.
Add starter culture and mix well. Let milk sour for 30 minutes
Add sufficient rennet to coagulate milk in 35 to 45 minutes while keeping tempature steady.
Cut curds to 1/2 inch and rest curds for 5 minutes.
Raise temperature to 95°F over 20 minutes stirring gently.
Remove heat stiiring for 20 minutes more to prevent matting.
Let curds rest for 10 minutes.
Drain curd in cloth then place in a cloth lined mold. Allow to drain for 15 minutes pressing lightly with follower.
Flip cheese and drain for another 10 minutes pressing with 10 pounds weight.
Flip cheese again and press over night with 25 pound weight.
Brine cheese in saturted brine for 6 to 8 hours.
Let cheese are dry for 24 to 48 hours until dry to the touch.
Age at 50°F and 80 to 90% humidity for 30 to 60 days - I left it for 5 months and it was amazing!
It's supposed to be part sheep and part cows milk but I made it with just raw cows milk. I also used the edam molds again so I could see if they drained any better with the extra holes - they did. Still a bit akward to press being so round but they worked. I had more curd than room it the two molds so the extra got put into my square muenster mold.
Oh my, I am starving now! Have an Edam aging in the cave with Saffron and am awaiting the results!
I love the added sparkles ;) it looks fabulous!! did you just follow the manf. recommendations for the culture?
Brie -
I am curious if it was the saffron flavor that is so danged good matched with the creamy cheese. Let us know how the edam goes with it. I may try another safron cheese after I do this one a few more times. I gave away the other two wheels already and everyone wants more yesterday!
P- Yes I did. This was my normal 7 gallon batch two wheel in the PITA edam moulds and one in the square muester moulds. Next ones go into the kadova moulds - easier to slice too!
Not sure what I did to get the sparkles I just bought a new camera in the clearnace rack at the USCG station and I haven't read the book yet but this stared thing started showing up after I tried pushing buttons. I think its kind of neat. I used to have fliters to do that years ago on my 35mm cameras.
This cheese is really something exceptional.
Do you think by adding some Lipase to cows milk instead of sheep's milk will enhance the taste?
oooh, Alex, that is an AWESOME idea! Now I really think I'm going to have to try this one soon!
Hmmm well I only used raw cows milk and it was outstanding. I think adding lipase would be good but not the same cheese. I think the flavor would lean more towards a dry aged provalone with lipase - which is a great cheese but different. Personally I wouldn't change anything unless I were going to develop a new cheese.
I've been trying to decide on my next cheese adventure-think you just made up my mind for me!! Sounds delish! I happen to have some Saffron sitting in my cupboard begging to be used so this gives me the perfect excuse to break it out, thanks for the recipe!
~Cheers! :D
Trying out the recipe today!! Can't wait to see how it turns out! I'll post pics soon... ;D
I was thinking about making a saffron gouda. I made one with paprika about a week ago just to get the technique down. I just need to decide when to add the saffron. I think it would look great if there was a red streak through the middle of the cheese, and also a saffron flavor throughout, so maybe boiling the saffron and adding the liquid to the milk when I start, then layering the actual saffron threads in the middle of the curd before pressing.
That's exactly what I'm doing with mine, I wanted the lovely pale yellow color throughout and then visible strands interspersed...I also ground a little of the saffron with a mortar/pestle to help bring out the flavor and color....we'll see what happens! :D
The saffron does add a nice creamy color and the taste is amazing. I broke up the threads so they are in there but don't show in every bite. This was also a 7 gallon batch so 8 or 10 threads don't show up to much.
Wow, you taste 8-10 threads in a 7 gallon batch? When did you put yours in?
saffron is some pretty potent stuff. I made paella about a week ago, and the flavor of the few saffron threads showed through in the dish, despite the red peppers and chorizo and paprika-ed chicken breasts. It also dyed my fingers yellow for a few days. Even so, I think I would want more than just a few threads
Quote from: Nitai on April 10, 2010, 11:48:14 PM
Wow, you taste 8-10 threads in a 7 gallon batch? When did you put yours in?
I put it in the milk right up front. Strng stuff a little goes a long way - good thing too it's very pricey!
I bought a couple of packets of saffron in the store's mexican spice section......79 cents for an ounce. of course, it looks more like marigold stamens than crocus stamens.....I know it won't give the same taste, but it will give a similar color, and I am kind of excited to try it before I invest in some expensive stuff.
There is more than one type of saffron. Saffron from Spain is of the highest quality. Then there's the saffron from India. The Indian safrron is cheaper and different in flavor. Spainish saffron goes for around $15 a 1/2 gram.
There is also a powdered version that I see around every now and then that is mixed with tumeric and not very good. There is also a US and Mexican variety that is not even saffron but safflower which comes from a daisy and has no flavor but does add a nice yellow color. I think that is what you have.
I agree. Definitely not going to get any flavor from saffron that cheap...
hmmm....Thanks! flavor is not so much the issue for me at the moment, but it will be nice to have for the coloring. I guess I will have to get some of the good stuff so I can make this cheese! ;D
I find it only takes about 5 or 6 strands to flavor a 7 gallon batch or cheese when using quality Saffron. I have found a few places online that seem to have good prices but still pricey. I am hoping for the lady at the local health food store to come through. She said she has a filed full of purple crocus near her yard.
Maybe we need to ask sailor about growing these things he seems to have a way with flowers!
Hey,...I like that idea, Debi! >:D
So saffron comes from crocus stamens? I've got tons of crocus, but they only last a few days in really early Spring. Now if you want orchid stamens, those I've got in abundance. Or I have about 300 tulips in bloom right now. How about tomato pollen?
And the kicker is that you only get 3 strands of saffron per flower...
Apparently it's a violet crokus. I wonder if they are similar to the yellow ones I have all over my yard. They are my favorite flower. I love yellow and they just give me spring fever when they finally pop out after a long winter.
Yeah the fact that they only have three stamins per flower is what makes them soo expensive. That and their short life span.
Anyway to grow them say hydroponically so they don't know it's not spring? Maybe put them in the cool basement then outside?
Crocus bulbs are easy to force in a bowl of marbles with water (a simple form of hydroponics). I have them blooming inside every February for Valentine's Day. They still have a VERY short lifespan - only a few days at most. When you force bulbs to bloom in water, you generally use up all their energy reserves and they usually will never bloom again, or will at least take a few years to recuperate. So this would be a horribly expensive way to get safron.
Wow. I didn't know that. Marbles huh? Pretty neat idea. I guess we have to wait until next year to grow saffron then. I have some on order from saffron.com Only $25.95 for 5 grams. The also had some coffee, peach and pistachio extracts for a good price. Can't wait to try those! Coffee and peach Biscotti coming up!