Ingredients
Curd
- 3 litresbuttermilk, left from churning butter
- or 3 litres whole milk soured with 4 tbsp yoghurt for two days
- 1 tspsalt
To serve
- 1 bunchdill, chopped
- 2spring onions, sliced
- olive oil
- flatbread, tomatoes, olives
Directions
- Pour the buttermilk into a wide heavy pan and heat it very slowly. Slow is the point: rushed, the curd toughens into rubbery lumps instead of soft crumbs.
- Do not stir once it is warm. Let it be.
- At around 70 to 80°C (158 to 176°F) the curd will break, separating into soft white flecks and clear greenish whey.
- Hold it just below a simmer for ten minutes, then take it off the heat and let it settle for another ten.
- Never let it boil. Boiled curd goes squeaky and dry, and this cheese is meant to be soft and crumbly.
- Pour it through a cloth-lined sieve and drain 30 minutes for a moist çökelek, or hang it two hours for a drier one.
- Salt to taste while it is still warm and break it up with a fork.
- Fold in the dill and spring onion and pour olive oil over. Eat at breakfast with flatbread, tomatoes and olives.
- Fresh, it keeps three days in the fridge. Village households salt it heavily and press it into jars or skins to keep it through winter.
Technique
- Slow heat, no stirring, never a boil.
- Drain to the texture you want. Thirty minutes moist, two hours dry.
- It is made from what is left after churning butter, so nothing is wasted.
Substitutions
- Whole milk soured with yoghurt for two days, if you have no buttermilk.
- A splash of lemon juice if the buttermilk is not sour enough to break on its own.
- Dried in the sun into hard keeping curd, as is done in Anatolian villages.
Variations
- Kurut, the same curd dried hard into balls.
- The Indian chhena and Greek anthotyro are close relatives.
History
A thrifty village cheese made from the whey left after churning butter, common across Anatolia.
Frequently asked questions
What is Cokelek?
Cokelek is a cheese & dairy from Turkey: dry crumbly curd cheese made from buttermilk, mixed with herbs for breakfast. A thrifty village cheese made from the whey left after churning butter, common across Anatolia.
How long does Cokelek take to make?
Cokelek takes 15 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes makes about 400 g. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Cokelek?
Yes, within limits. Whole milk soured with yoghurt for two days, if you have no buttermilk. A splash of lemon juice if the buttermilk is not sour enough to break on its own. Dried in the sun into hard keeping curd, as is done in Anatolian villages.
What is the most important thing to get right in Cokelek?
Pour the buttermilk into a wide heavy pan and heat it very slowly. Slow is the point: rushed, the curd toughens into rubbery lumps instead of soft crumbs.
