Flaming Hot Cheese Curds Recipes

FRIED CHEESE CURD SALAD WITH SPICY YOGURT RANCH

Steps:

• For the spicy yogurt ranch: Stir together the yogurt, chopped jalapenos, brine and cream until smooth. Stir in the parsley, chives, dill, garlic powder and salt. Refrigerate the dressing while you make the curds and salad.
• For the fried cheese curds: Heat 2 inches vegetable oil in a large pot to 360 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a wire rack for draining.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, paprika, salt and cayenne. Add the cheese curds and lightly dredge in the flour, then remove to a plate. Whisk in the beer and egg until the batter is just smooth (don't overmix). Add a little more beer, if needed, to make it the consistency of pancake batter.
• Add half of the curds to the batter, then remove with a fork and gently drop into the oil. Fry until the batter is crisp and deep golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to the wire rack. Dip the remaining curds in the batter and fry in the same manner. Season all of the fried curds lightly with salt.
• For the salad: Spread the greens on a platter. Top with the tomatoes, cucumbers and radishes. Drizzle with about half of the dressing. Top with the fried cheese curds. Sprinkle with the chives and sunflower seeds. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve.

CRISPY CHEESE CURD RISOTTO CAKE

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large, high-sided skillet, and add the onion. Cook over medium heat until soft and sweet, about 10 minutes. Add the rice and salt and cook, stirring, until well coated in butter, about 2 minutes. Pour in the white wine and cook, stirring, until it evaporates. Add 1/2 cup water and cook, stirring frequently, until it has been absorbed. Repeat, adding 1/2 cup water at a time, until the rice swells and becomes tender. This should take about 15 minutes and about 3 to 3 1/2 cups water. The texture of the risotto should be softly flowing but not soupy.
• Stir in the Parmesan, and transfer the risotto to a wide bowl. When it is cool enough to touch, fold in the cheese curds.
• Line an 8-inch-square baking dish with plastic wrap, leaving plenty of overhang on all sides. Pour the risotto into the dish, smooth the top, and cover with the overhanging plastic. Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours, or as long as overnight.
• Before serving, clarify the remaining 8 tablespoons butter: Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium heat until it foams and starts to turn dark blond on top, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the butter sit for a few minutes. Then tilt the skillet toward you and gently spoon off and discard the top layer of foam. Pour the clear golden butter into another bowl, discarding the dark dregs at the bottom of the skillet.
• Unmold the risotto cake onto a cutting board. Cut it into eight 1-inch-wide slabs, and then cut each rectangle into thirds to make 24 pieces. Put the rice flour in a shallow dish. Dip the tops and bottoms of the risotto cakes in the flour, and transfer them to a platter or baking sheet.
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• Heat a large nonstick saute pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add enough clarified butter to lightly coat the bottom, and when it's hot, add as many risotto cakes as will fit in the pan. Fry until a dark golden brown crust forms on both sides and the cheese inside is melted, about 4 minutes. Keep the fried risotto cakes warm in the oven while you fry the rest of them. Serve immediately.

FRIED CHEESE CURDS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the club soda and mix until smooth. Add the cheese curds to the batter and coat thoroughly.
• Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reads 360 degrees F. Fry the cheese curds for about 1 minute, turning halfway through. Drain on paper towels. Serve the fried cheese curds with marinara or your favorite dipping sauce.

HOMEMADE CHEESE CURDS

Steps:

• Pour milk into a sterilized pot. Place pot into a larger pot filled with a few inches of water. Heat milk, stirring occasionally, to 90 degrees F (32 degrees C). Remove from heat.
• Dissolve calcium chloride in 1/4 cup water; stir into the milk. Sprinkle mesophilic culture over the surface of the milk. Let sit for 1 minute, then stir gently for 1 minute. Cover and let culture ripen for 35 minutes.
• Dilute rennet with 1/4 cup water. Stir rennet into the milk mixture for exactly 1 minute. Cover again and let sit until a knife can cut cleanly through the curd, about 45 minutes. Cut curd into 1/2- to 1-inch cubes directly in the pot. Let sit for 5 minutes.
• Cover curds and heat, stirring every 10 minutes, to 98 degrees F (37 degrees C), about 90 minutes. Squeeze curds together to check if they stick. Drain curds and transfer to a cheesecloth-lined strainer set inside a pot.
• Pour enough whey over the curds to reach about 3 inches at the bottom of the pot. Let drain for about 1 minute. Cover with cheesecloth and the pot lid. Heat the whey below to keep curds between 112 and 115 degrees F (44 and 46 degrees C); let drain for 10 minutes. Curds will stick together to form a slab. Cut slab in half, re-cover, and let drain for 10 minutes.
• Flip curds over and re-wrap. Drain for 10 minutes more, keeping the temperature still between 112 and 115 degrees F (44 and 46 degrees C). Cut the slab into smaller slabs and stack them inside the cloth. Return to the pot and cover. Continue draining, flipping and rearranging the slabs every 15 minutes at the same steady temperature, about 1 hour total.
• Unwrap the slabs and let them rest for a few minutes on a paper towel-lined plate. Cut into cubes and place curds in a zip-top bag. Add 1/2 of the salt; shake to coat. Add remaining salt and repeat.