Ingredients
Soured milk
- 1.5 litreswhole milk
- 3 tbsplive yoghurt, as starter
To finish
- 1 tspsalt
- 3 clovesgarlic, crushed to a paste with a little salt
- 1 tbspdried summer savory (chubritsa)
- 1 tbspolive oil
To serve
- bread or pitka
- sliced tomato and cucumber
Directions
- Heat the milk to 85°C (185°F), hold it for five minutes, then cool to 45°C (113°F). The high heat is what makes the curd thick enough to drain to a spread rather than a puddle.
- Stir in the starter, cover, wrap in a towel and leave somewhere warm for 8 to 12 hours until firmly set and sour.
- Line a sieve with muslin, set it over a bowl and tip in the set milk. Leave to drain in the fridge for 12 hours. Do not stir it first — a broken curd drains unevenly and takes twice as long.
- Scrape the drained curd into a bowl. It should be thick enough to hold a spoon upright.
- Beat in the salt, the garlic paste and the savory, then trickle in the olive oil while stirring so it emulsifies rather than sitting on top.
- Cover and leave in the fridge for at least two hours before eating. The garlic needs that time to spread through the curd, and katak eaten straight away tastes of raw garlic and nothing else.
- Serve cold, spread thick on bread, with tomato and cucumber.
Technique
- Keep the whey. It is sharp and pleasant cold, and it makes a good base for a cold soup.
- Summer savory is the flavour of this spread in the Rhodopes. Thyme is not a substitute so much as a different dish.
- Crush the garlic with salt rather than chopping it. Salt breaks the cell walls and gives a smooth paste instead of hot little pieces.
Substitutions
- Thick strained Greek yoghurt as a shortcut, drained a further few hours.
- Sheep’s milk, which is what the Rhodope version uses and which comes out considerably richer.
- Fresh dill and mint in place of the savory, which is done in Thrace.
Variations
- Thinned with cold water and ice it becomes a drink rather than a spread.
- Some households mix in crumbled sirene, which makes it saltier and firmer.
History
A Rhodope and Thracian household dairy ferment, made by draining and salting soured milk in cloth.
Frequently asked questions
What is Katak?
Katak is a fermented & pickled from Bulgaria: sour fermented milk spread with garlic and savory, eaten on bread. A Rhodope and Thracian household dairy ferment, made by draining and salting soured milk in cloth.
How long does Katak take to make?
Katak takes 15 min plus 1 day souring and 12 hours draining of preparation and 10 min of cooking. The recipe makes makes about 500 g. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Katak?
Yes, within limits. Thick strained Greek yoghurt as a shortcut, drained a further few hours. Sheep’s milk, which is what the Rhodope version uses and which comes out considerably richer. Fresh dill and mint in place of the savory, which is done in Thrace.
What is the most important thing to get right in Katak?
Heat the milk to 85°C (185°F), hold it for five minutes, then cool to 45°C (113°F). The high heat is what makes the curd thick enough to drain to a spread rather than a puddle.
