Catupiry

Ingredients

Cheese

• 1 litrewhole milk
• 300 mldouble cream
• 60 mlwhite vinegar or lemon juice
• 1 tspsalt

To smooth

• 60 gunsalted butter, soft
• 1 tspcornflour
• 100 mlwhole milk, extra
• a good pinch of salt

Directions

1. Heat the milk and cream together to 85°C (185°F), stirring so the bottom does not catch.
2. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the vinegar a little at a time. The curds will separate from a clear greenish whey within a minute or two. Add just enough acid to separate it cleanly — more than that toughens the curd and the finished cheese goes grainy.
3. Let it stand for 10 minutes, then pour into a muslin-lined sieve and drain for 20 minutes. Do not squeeze it dry; you want it soft.
4. Whisk the cornflour into the extra milk in a small pan and cook over low heat, stirring, until it thickens to a smooth paste — about two minutes.
5. Put the drained curd, the butter, the cornflour paste and the salt into a blender and blend for a full two minutes until completely smooth and glossy. This long blend is what gives catupiry its texture, and stopping early leaves it grainy.
6. Scrape into a tub, press a piece of clingfilm onto the surface and chill for at least four hours. It firms considerably as it cools.
7. Use spread on bread, piped into coxinhas, or spooned onto pizza in the last minutes of baking.

Technique

• The cornflour is not a cheat. It stabilises the emulsion so the cheese stays smooth when it is warmed, which is exactly what catupiry has to do on a pizza.
• Blend it warm. Once the curd has gone cold it will not come smooth however long the machine runs.
• This is a fresh cheese with no preservative. It keeps five days in the fridge and does not freeze well.

Substitutions

• Lemon juice for the vinegar, which gives a slightly rounder flavour.
• Cream cheese blended with cream and a little butter, if you want the texture without making the curd.

Variations

• A firmer version, drained longer and with less butter, holds its shape for piping into pastries.
• The commercial original is a specific brand with its own formulation; this is the household approximation Brazilian cooks make.

History

Created in 1911 at Lambari in Minas Gerais by Italian immigrants Mario and Isaira Silvestrini; the name is Tupi-Guarani for excellent.

Frequently asked questions

What is Catupiry?

Catupiry is a cheese & dairy from Brazil: soft spreadable cream cheese used in coxinhas, pizza and chicken pies. Created in 1911 at Lambari in Minas Gerais by Italian immigrants Mario and Isaira Silvestrini; the name is Tupi-Guarani for excellent.

How long does Catupiry take to make?

Catupiry takes 20 min plus 4 hours chilling of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes makes about 500 g. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Catupiry?

Yes, within limits. Lemon juice for the vinegar, which gives a slightly rounder flavour. Cream cheese blended with cream and a little butter, if you want the texture without making the curd.

What is the most important thing to get right in Catupiry?

Let it stand for 10 minutes, then pour into a muslin-lined sieve and drain for 20 minutes. Do not squeeze it dry; you want it soft.