Marybeth’s fabulous holiday cheese.
Good news! It’s not too late to make cheese for the holiday season. Caerphilly is one that needs only 3 weeks to ripen and it just gets better and sharper after that.
Recipes for Caerphilly abound, including 3 in the archives of this very blog if you do a search for it – Caerphilly with Suzanne McMinn in 2011, Caerphilly with Enola G. in 2012, and Gavin Webber’s recipe in 2011 – Almost Instant Gratification. (There are over 1000 articles available so, when you have a minute, look something up and see what you find.)
There are also numerous YouTube videos about making Caerphilly.
Marybeth with her aged Dill Caerphilly
We interviewed Marybeth Bullington in Creswell, Oregon a year ago and 2 weeks later, we posted Valancay-Style Cheese by Marybeth Bullington. During the time of the Valancay article, Marybeth was experimenting with making a flavored Caerphilly.
Needless to say, the experiment was a success and we asked her to tell us how she did it.
Marybeth’s Holiday Cheese
Here is how this festive creation comes to be!
I use the recipe in 200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes by Debra Amrein-Boyes (which they sell at cheesemaking.com).
The only thing I do differently is I dry salt rather than brine it.
You will need:
Drained curds from Caerphilly which was made with 4 gallons of milk
1 pound walnuts (or more if you love ‘em)
3 -4 oranges with bright orange skin
Cheese salt
Optional: Orange liqueur
Start a batch of Caerphilly. While you are waiting for the miracle of curds to form, start on the additions.
Toast the walnuts at 350F for 3 or 4 minutes, then shake the pan and return to the oven. Take out when they BEGIN to smell toasted. They will continue to cook for a few minutes, so don’t overdo or they will burn.
Walnuts have some interesting color variations (but not scary). This can also be made with dry roasted pistachios if people are averse to walnuts.
When they are cool, crunch them up by hand. There will be lots of little flakey bits. Take them outside and give them a toss or blow on them to winnow these little flakes away.
Find some beautiful oranges, rinse and dry them. Using a BIG stainless bowl, zest them to get just the orange part in the bowl and also collect the lovely orange oil on the sides of the bowl. Sprinkle the sides and zest with 2 tablespoons of sugar and set aside to wait for the curd to form. This will serve to capture the orange oil and add a touch of sweetness to the final cheese. It will also serve to negate the effect of the orange oil on the culture during aging.
The orange flavor permeates the cheese gently.
An additional step is to add an orange liqueur for extra pizzazz. I had Grand Marnier on hand but Triple Sec, Curacao or any other orange based liqueur will do nicely. Remember your cultures are tee-totalers! Simmer the liqueur to evaporate the alcohol. (If you are ready for some excitement, once it is warm, you can flame it to burn off the alcohol quickly.)
When your curds are nicely drained and ready to go into the mold, the fun starts! Break up the curds in your big bowl of goodies. Add your cooled liqueur and a little cheese salt, then ‘mill’ the curds to evenly distribute the walnuts and peel. I let the mixed up curd sit for 10 minutes or so before adding it to your dressed mold to release additional whey.
The whey in the bowl and from the pressing is well worth collecting. It is redolent with orange and walnut flavors to make morning waffles or quick bread both fluffy and tasty!
I start with a very light pressing and gently increase to the recommended medium weight to consolidate the curd.
After pressing, salt the cheese on top and sides and let it contemplate overnight. (I let it dry on a rack under a piece of No-See-Um netting.)
Turn it over in the morning and repeat the process.
After a few days, when the cheese is fairly dry, you can wax it if you want but I vacuum-seal it to keep it safe from unwelcome ‘guests’ until it is ready for tasting.
I throw it in the barn fridge to meditate for a month or two (or three).
Caerphilly is a rather youngish cheese, so plan to check it in 3 to 4 weeks and re-seal it if more time is needed.
At three months it develops the flavors all through the paste.
No need for crackers, just eat it and smile.
NOTE: If you like this type of cheese, here are some options using packaged dried fruit! Only use commercially prepared dried fruit to avoid unwelcome visitors to your tasty endeavors.
Dried Blueberry–Cinnamon (slivered almonds or pecans?)
Dried Cherry with Mini-Chunks of Dark Chocolate and Chopped Toasted Almond Slivers (maybe some kirsch?)
Dried Apricot with Cardamom or Allspice (pecans or slivered almonds)
Cranberry Pistachio (I use the dry roasted shelled pistachios)
Cranberry Pistachio
Marybeth Bullington
Elfin Acres Nigerian Dwarf Goats
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