Ingredients
Ferment
- 4 litreswhey from cheesemaking, or 4 litres yoghurt thinned with water
- 1 tspsalt
To reconstitute
- hot water
- garlic and dried mint, for serving
Directions
- Leave the whey or thinned yoghurt at warm room temperature for two to three days until it sours sharply. This souring is the preservation and the flavour; sweet whey gives a bland kashk that will not keep.
- Bring it slowly to a simmer in a wide pan and cook, stirring often, until it has reduced by about three-quarters and thickened into a heavy paste. This takes 30 to 40 minutes and it will spit as it thickens.
- Stir in the salt and cook a few minutes more, scraping the base constantly. It catches easily at this stage.
- Spread the paste in a thick layer on a tray, or roll it into balls the size of a walnut, and dry in strong sun for three to five days, turning daily and bringing it in at night.
- Dry it until it is rock hard and rattles. Anything left soft in the middle will mould in storage, and this is the step that decides whether the batch survives the year.
- Store the dried pieces in a jar somewhere dry. They keep for years.
- To use, soak a piece in hot water for an hour, then beat it smooth — the traditional beating is what gives kashk its texture — and thin to a pourable cream. Season with fried garlic and mint.
Technique
- Sour it properly before cooking. Under-soured whey gives kashk with no character.
- Dry it until it is genuinely hard. Half-dry kashk moulds.
- The liquid kashk sold in jars is the same thing already reconstituted — a perfectly good shortcut, and what most Iranian kitchens now buy.
Substitutions
- Thinned plain yoghurt in place of whey, which is what most home cooks use.
- A dehydrator at 55°C (131°F) where the sun will not oblige.
Variations
- Kashk-e bademjan beats it into fried aubergine with garlic and mint.
- Ash reshteh, the herb and noodle soup, is finished with a swirl of it.
History
Ancient way of storing the whey left from butter and cheese making; sold as hard balls or thick liquid.
Frequently asked questions
What is Kashk?
Kashk is a cheese & dairy from Iran: dried fermented whey, soaked and beaten into a tangy grey cream. Ancient way of storing the whey left from butter and cheese making; sold as hard balls or thick liquid.
How long does Kashk take to make?
Kashk takes 30 min plus 3 days souring and 3 to 5 days drying of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes makes about 400 g dried. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Kashk?
Yes, within limits. Thinned plain yoghurt in place of whey, which is what most home cooks use. A dehydrator at 55°C (131°F) where the sun will not oblige.
