Ingredients
Soured milk
- 1.5 litreswhole milk
- 3 tbspbuttermilk or live cultured milk, as starter
To serve
- hot boiled new potatoes with butter and dill
- fried bacon and onion
- salt
Directions
- Warm the milk to 22°C (72°F) — barely warm to the touch. Zsiadłe mleko is set by a mesophilic culture that works at room temperature, and yoghurt heat destroys it.
- Stir in the starter until evenly mixed.
- Pour into a jug or a wide bowl, cover with a cloth rather than a lid, and leave at room temperature for 24 to 36 hours.
- Do not stir or move it while it sets. It should form a soft set curd with a little clear whey at the edge — that is what zsiadłe means, clotted.
- Chill for at least four hours. Serve it in the bowl it set in, breaking through the curd with a spoon rather than beating it smooth.
- The classic summer meal is a bowl of it beside hot boiled potatoes with butter and dill, with fried bacon and onion scattered over the potatoes.
- Keep three spoonfuls back to start the next batch — it will run indefinitely.
- Drained through muslin it becomes twaróg.
Technique
- Room temperature, not warm.
- Cover with cloth. A sealed lid traps gas and the curd separates unevenly.
- Traditionally raw milk was simply left in a jug to clot. With pasteurised shop milk a starter is essential, because the organisms that would have done it are gone.
Substitutions
- Live sour cream or crème fraîche as a starter.
- Kefir as a starter, which gives a slightly fizzier result.
Variations
- Drained it becomes twaróg, the Polish curd cheese.
- The Russian prostokvasha and Ukrainian version are the same.
History
A Polish summer countryside meal, the milk left to clot at room temperature.
Frequently asked questions
What is Zsiadłe mleko?
Zsiadłe mleko is a cheese & dairy from Poland: naturally soured milk eaten with hot potatoes and fried bacon. A Polish summer countryside meal, the milk left to clot at room temperature.
How long does Zsiadłe mleko take to make?
Zsiadłe mleko takes 10 min plus 24 to 36 hours souring of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes makes 1.5 litres. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Zsiadłe mleko?
Yes, within limits. Live sour cream or crème fraîche as a starter. Kefir as a starter, which gives a slightly fizzier result.
What is the most important thing to get right in Zsiadłe mleko?
Pour into a jug or a wide bowl, cover with a cloth rather than a lid, and leave at room temperature for 24 to 36 hours.
