Ingredients
The dish
- 400 gyoung white sheep’s cheese, or a mild feta, crumbled
- 2 tbspbutter
- 2 tbspplain flour
- 300 mlwhole milk, warm
- 2eggs, beaten
- black pepper
To serve
- crusty bread
- a glass of rakija
Directions
- Use a young, mild cheese rather than a sharply aged one. Bieno sirenje means beaten cheese, and the beating is what gives it its dense, stringy texture — an old salty cheese seizes rather than melting.
- If your cheese is very salty, soak it in cold water for an hour first and drain it well.
- Melt the butter in a heavy pan, stir in the flour and cook for a minute to a pale roux.
- Whisk in the warm milk gradually until smooth, and cook for two minutes until thickened.
- Turn the heat right down and add the crumbled cheese. Now beat it hard and constantly with a wooden spoon as it melts — this is the whole method, and it takes several minutes of real effort.
- Keep beating until the mixture pulls together into a single glossy, elastic mass that comes away from the sides of the pan. It should stretch when you lift the spoon.
- Take the pan off the heat and beat in the eggs quickly. Off the heat matters: eggs added over a flame scramble into visible threads instead of enriching the cheese.
- Return to very low heat for two minutes, beating, then season with pepper and serve hot with crusty bread, straight from the pan.
Technique
- Beat it constantly and beat it hard. Stirring gently gives a lumpy sauce; beating gives bieno sirenje.
- Eggs off the heat, always.
- Serve it immediately. It sets firm as it cools and is a different, lesser thing reheated.
Substitutions
- A mild feta or a young Bulgarian sirene.
- Cream in place of some of the milk for a richer version.
- Skip the eggs for a simpler, plainer beaten cheese.
Variations
- Baked in an earthenware dish with an egg cracked on top.
- Some Mariovo versions use no flour at all and rely entirely on beating.
History
Made in the Mariovo highlands by beating the curd by hand before pressing it into tins, a speciality of the southern mountains.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bieno sirenje?
Bieno sirenje is a cheese & dairy from North Macedonia: beaten sheep cheese from Mariovo, dense and salty. Made in the Mariovo highlands by beating the curd by hand before pressing it into tins, a speciality of the southern mountains.
How long does Bieno sirenje take to make?
Bieno sirenje takes 20 min of preparation and 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Bieno sirenje?
Yes, within limits. A mild feta or a young Bulgarian sirene. Cream in place of some of the milk for a richer version. Skip the eggs for a simpler, plainer beaten cheese.
What is the most important thing to get right in Bieno sirenje?
Use a young, mild cheese rather than a sharply aged one. Bieno sirenje means beaten cheese, and the beating is what gives it its dense, stringy texture — an old salty cheese seizes rather than melting.
