Gjizë

Ingredients

Curd

• 4 litresfresh sweet whey, left from making kaçkavall or another rennet cheese
• 500 mlwhole milk, to raise the yield
• 2 tbspwhite wine vinegar or lemon juice
• 1 tspfine sea salt

Equipment and finish

• a large heavy pan, a thermometer, a muslin-lined colander
• olive oil or honey, to serve

Directions

1. Use the whey the same day it is drawn. Whey older than about six hours sours on its own and gives a coarse, sharp curd.
2. Pour it into the pan with the milk and heat slowly over medium-low heat, stirring only occasionally with a flat spoon so nothing catches on the base.
3. Bring it to 88 to 92°C (200°F) over about 30 minutes. Fine white flecks appear from around 70°C (160°F) and gather into soft clouds near the top of that range.
4. Add the vinegar in three lots, stirring once gently after each, and watch for the moment the liquid under the curd turns from milky to a clear yellow-green. Do not stir after that.
5. Hold at 90°C (195°F) without boiling for 5 minutes. A boil shears the curd into hard grains and drops the yield.
6. Ladle the curd gently into a muslin-lined colander with a slotted spoon, keeping the flakes whole.
7. Salt lightly, then let it drain at room temperature for 30 minutes and in the fridge for 3 to 4 hours, until it is soft, moist and just holds a shape.
8. Turn it out and eat within three days, spread on warm bread with honey, dressed with olive oil, or crumbled into pies.

Technique

• Gjizë is a whey cheese, the Albanian sibling of ricotta and urda. It captures the albumin proteins that rennet leaves behind, which is why it needs high heat and acid rather than a starter culture.
• It is highly perishable and unsalted curd spoils fast. Keep it below 4°C (40°F), use it within three days, or salt it heavily at 3 percent by weight and press it for a firm keeping cheese.
• Yield from whey alone is small, around 5 percent. The added milk is a normal farmhouse trick to bring a domestic batch up to a usable amount.

Substitutions

• No whey: heat 3 litres of whole milk with 500 ml double cream to 90°C (195°F) and acidify the same way. The result is richer and closer to a fresh curd cheese than true gjizë.
• Citric acid, 1 teaspoon dissolved in 100 ml water, replaces the vinegar and gives a cleaner, less sharp flavour.

Variations

• Gjizë e kripur is salted at 3 percent, packed into jars under olive oil and kept for winter.
• In the north a smoke-dried version is hung over the hearth until it hardens enough to grate.

History

Made from the whey left after cheesemaking; it fills byrek and is eaten fresh with honey across Albania.

Frequently asked questions

What is Gjizë?

Gjizë is a cheese & dairy from Albania: fresh whey curd eaten with bread and honey or baked into pies. Made from the whey left after cheesemaking; it fills byrek and is eaten fresh with honey across Albania.

How long does Gjizë take to make?

Gjizë takes 15 min of preparation and 45 min plus 4 hr draining of cooking. The recipe makes about 400 g. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Gjizë?

Yes, within limits. No whey: heat 3 litres of whole milk with 500 ml double cream to 90°C (195°F) and acidify the same way. The result is richer and closer to a fresh curd cheese than true gjizë. Citric acid, 1 teaspoon dissolved in 100 ml water, replaces the vinegar and gives a cleaner, less sharp flavour.

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

Add the vinegar in three lots, stirring once gently after each, and watch for the moment the liquid under the curd turns from milky to a clear yellow-green. Do not stir after that.