Ingredients
Cheese
- 5 litreswhole milk
- ¼ tspcalcium chloride in 2 tbsp water, if using shop milk
- ½ tspliquid rennet in 50 ml cool water
- 2 tspsalt
To use
- chipa, sopa paraguaya
- or sliced with bread
Directions
- Warm the milk to 35°C (95°F) and stir in the calcium chloride if using pasteurised shop milk.
- Stir in the diluted rennet with a few slow strokes, stop the milk moving, and leave undisturbed for 40 minutes until it gives a clean break.
- Cut the curd into 1.5 cm cubes, rest 10 minutes, then stir gently for 15 minutes while holding the temperature.
- Drain off the whey and work the salt through the curd with your hands, breaking it up as you go.
- Pack into a muslin-lined mould and press under a 3 kg weight for four hours, turning once.
- It should come out firm, white and squeaky, and distinctly salty — this cheese has to hold its own inside a maize dough, and a bland one disappears into chipa.
- Chill and use within four days.
- For chipa and sopa paraguaya, grate or crumble it into the batter. It softens and stretches in the heat rather than melting into a puddle, which is exactly what those dishes depend on.
Technique
- Salt the curd directly rather than brining the block. It seasons all the way through, which is what a baking cheese needs.
- Press it properly. Under-pressed, it holds water and makes chipa dough wet.
- It is a four-day cheese with nothing preserving it.
Substitutions
- Vegetarian microbial rennet, which works well.
- A firm mild feta or queso fresco, both of which behave similarly in chipa.
Variations
- Aged a few weeks in brine it becomes firmer and saltier.
- Fried in thick slices and eaten with mandioca.
History
Made on small farms and sold in rounds; almost every Paraguayan maize dish depends on it.
Frequently asked questions
What is Queso Paraguay?
Queso Paraguay is a cheese & dairy from Paraguay: fresh salty cow’s cheese that melts into chipa and sopa paraguaya. Made on small farms and sold in rounds; almost every Paraguayan maize dish depends on it.
How long does Queso Paraguay take to make?
Queso Paraguay takes 30 min plus 4 hours pressing of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes makes about 600 g. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Queso Paraguay?
Yes, within limits. Vegetarian microbial rennet, which works well. A firm mild feta or queso fresco, both of which behave similarly in chipa.
What is the most important thing to get right in Queso Paraguay?
For chipa and sopa paraguaya, grate or crumble it into the batter. It softens and stretches in the heat rather than melting into a puddle, which is exactly what those dishes depend on.
