Serves 4 to 6
Recipe from Cook's Illustrated and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen by
Maria del Mar Patron-Vasquez
Our daughter-in-law is a fabulous
cook. We think she’s a wonder! She made this delectable meatless meal for
our Christmas dinner this year. Zowee!
The cheese was fun to make. It was
delicious and can be made a few days in advance. If mustard greens aren’t available,
substitute with spinach.
CHEESE:
3 quarts
whole-milk
3 cups
buttermilk
1
Tablespoon salt
SPINACH
SAUCE:
1
(10-ounce) bag spinach, rinsed
¾ pound mustard greens, stemmed and rinsed
or ¾ pound fresh spinach
3
Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon
cumin seeds
1 teaspoon
ground coriander
1 teaspoon
paprika
½ teaspoon
ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon
ground cinnamon
1 onion,
finely chopped
Salt and
pepper
3 cloves
garlic, minced
1
Tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 jalapeño
chili, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1
(14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
½ cup
roasted cashews, chopped coarse
1 cup
water
1 cup
buttermilk
3
Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1. FOR THE
CHEESE: Line colander with triple layer of cheesecloth and set in sink. Bring
milk to boil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Whisk in buttermilk and salt,
turn off heat, and let stand for 1 minute. Pour milk mixture through
cheesecloth and let curds drain for 15 minutes.
2. Pull
edges of cheesecloth together to form pouch. Twist edges of cheesecloth together,
firmly squeezing out as much liquid as possible from cheese curds. Place taut,
twisted cheese pouch between 2 large plates and weigh down top plate with heavy
Dutch oven. Set aside at room temperature until cheese is firm and set, at
least 45 minutes. Chill in the fridge.
(We chilled it overnight.)
Remove
cheesecloth and cut cheese into 1/2-inch pieces. (Left uncut, cheese can be
wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
3. FOR THE
SPINACH SAUCE: Place spinach in large microwave-safe bowl, cover, and microwave
until wilted, about 3 minutes. When cool enough to handle, chop enough spinach
to measure 1/3 cup and set aside. Transfer remaining spinach to blender and
wipe out bowl. Place mustard greens in now-empty bowl, cover, and microwave
until wilted, about 4 minutes. When cool enough to handle, chop enough mustard
greens to measure 1/3 cup and transfer to bowl with chopped spinach. Transfer
remaining mustard greens to blender.
4.
Meanwhile, melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add cumin
seeds, coriander, paprika, cardamom, and cinnamon and cook until fragrant,
about 30 seconds. Add onion and 3/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently,
until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and jalapeño; cook,
stirring frequently, until lightly browned and just beginning to stick to pan,
2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cook mixture until pan is dry and tomatoes
are beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
5.
Transfer half of onion mixture to blender with greens. Add half of cashews and
water; process until smooth, about 1 minute. Return purée to skillet.
6. Return
skillet to medium-high heat, stir in chopped greens and buttermilk, and bring
to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until flavors have blended, 5
minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Gently fold in cheese cubes and
cook until just heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to serving dish,
sprinkle with remaining cashews and cilantro, and serve.
Notes To ensure that the cheese is firm, wring it tightly in step
2 and be sure to use two plates that nestle together snugly. Use commercially
produced cultured buttermilk in this recipe. Serve with basmati rice and Naan.
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