Handkäse mit Musik

Ingredients

Cheese

• 4Handkäse, or another sour-milk cheese such as Harzer

The music

• 2onions, chopped very fine
• 6 tbspcider vinegar
• 4 tbspsunflower oil
• 1 tspcaraway seed
• 1 tspsalt
• black pepper
• 1 tspsugar

To serve

• dark rye bread and butter
• a glass of Apfelwein

Directions

1. Lay the cheeses in a shallow dish in a single layer, or halve them horizontally so more surface meets the marinade.
2. Whisk the vinegar, oil, salt, sugar and pepper together and stir in the chopped onion and caraway.
3. Pour over the cheese so it is well coated, cover, and leave in the fridge for at least four hours and up to overnight, turning once.
4. The onion marinade is the music, and the name is exactly as crude as it sounds. It is also doing real work: the acid softens the outside of the cheese and mellows its sharpness, which raw Handkäse badly needs.
5. Take it out 30 minutes before serving, so the oil is not congealed and the cheese is not fridge-cold.
6. Serve on dark rye with butter, spooning plenty of the onion over the top, with a glass of cider.
7. Eat it the day it is dressed. Left longer the cheese goes slippery and the onion loses its bite.

Technique

• Butter on the bread under the cheese is not optional in Frankfurt — it stops the vinegar soaking straight through.
• The cheese is almost fat-free and very high in protein, which is why it is so sharp and why the oil in the marinade matters.
• Four hours minimum. An hour is not enough for the acid to do anything.

Substitutions

• Harzer Käse, which is the same style of sour-milk cheese and widely sold.
• White wine vinegar in place of cider vinegar.

Variations

• Served without the onion — plain Handkäse, ohne Musik — for those who want it.
• Baked with the onion on top until it melts, which is a winter version.

History

A Hessian speciality hand-shaped from sour milk curd; the music is the onion marinade, and it is eaten in Frankfurt apple wine taverns.

Frequently asked questions

What is Handkäse mit Musik?

Handkäse mit Musik is a cheese & dairy from Germany: sour-milk cheese marinated with raw onion, eaten with cider and bread. A Hessian speciality hand-shaped from sour milk curd; the music is the onion marinade, and it is eaten in Frankfurt apple wine taverns.

How long does Handkäse mit Musik take to make?

Handkäse mit Musik takes 20 min plus 4 hours marinating of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Handkäse mit Musik?

Yes, within limits. Harzer Käse, which is the same style of sour-milk cheese and widely sold. White wine vinegar in place of cider vinegar.

What is the most important thing to get right in Handkäse mit Musik?

Butter on the bread under the cheese is not optional in Frankfurt — it stops the vinegar soaking straight through.