Parenica

Ingredients

Cheese

• 6 litressheep’s milk, or whole cow’s milk
• ¼ tspcalcium chloride in 2 tbsp water, if using shop milk
• ½ tspliquid rennet in 50 ml cool water
• 3 litreshot water at 75°C (167°F), for stretching
• 2 tbspsalt

Brine

• 1 litrewater
• 100 gcoarse salt

To finish

• beech or fruitwood chips, for cold smoking

Directions

1. Warm the milk to 32°C (90°F), add the calcium chloride if using shop milk, then the rennet, and leave undisturbed for 45 minutes until it gives a clean break.
2. Cut the curd into 1.5 cm cubes, rest 10 minutes, then stir gently for 20 minutes. Drain off the whey.
3. Leave the curd somewhere warm to acidify for two to four hours. It is ready when a small piece dropped into water at 75°C (167°F) stretches into a smooth rope instead of tearing — test every 20 minutes, and expect to wait.
4. Cut the ripened curd into slices, put them in a bowl and pour over the hot water. Work with a wooden spoon until it comes together into one elastic mass.
5. Pull the mass out into a long flat ribbon about 5 cm wide, salting as you work.
6. Now the shaping: take the ribbon and roll it from both ends toward the middle, so you finish with two spirals joined in the centre — the figure of eight that parenica is known for. Tie it with a strip of the same cheese.
7. Drop the spirals into cold water to firm, then brine them for two hours.
8. Dry the surfaces, then cold-smoke over beech for two to four hours at under 30°C (86°F). The smoke both flavours and dries the outside, which is what let shepherds keep it. Eat within two weeks, pulled apart in strips.

Technique

• The stretch window is the whole difficulty. Too early and the curd shreds; too late and it dissolves in the hot water.
• Rubber gloves — the water is at 75°C (167°F) and the curd holds the heat.
• Roll from both ends to the middle. A single spiral is a different cheese; the figure of eight is parenica.

Substitutions

• Vegetarian microbial rennet.
• A pH meter or strips, which take the guesswork out of the ripening.
• Skip the smoking for a fresh white parenica, which is eaten within days.

Variations

• Korbáčiky is the same curd pulled into fine threads and plaited instead.
• Oštiepok is the pressed, moulded and smoked version.

History

Shepherds steamed the curd and rolled it into figures of eight to dry and smoke; Slovenská parenica was protected in 2008.

Frequently asked questions

What is Parenica?

Parenica is a cheese & dairy from Slovakia: steamed sheep’s cheese rolled into a smoked spiral, pulled apart in strips. Shepherds steamed the curd and rolled it into figures of eight to dry and smoke; Slovenská parenica was protected in 2008.

How long does Parenica take to make?

Parenica takes 1 hour plus 3 hours acidifying of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes makes 6 spirals. It is rated hard to make.

What can I substitute in Parenica?

Yes, within limits. Vegetarian microbial rennet. A pH meter or strips, which take the guesswork out of the ripening. Skip the smoking for a fresh white parenica, which is eaten within days.

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

Leave the curd somewhere warm to acidify for two to four hours. It is ready when a small piece dropped into water at 75°C (167°F) stretches into a smooth rope instead of tearing — test every 20 minutes, and expect to wait.