Ingredients
Curd
- 5 litressheep’s milk
- ¼ tspcalcium chloride in 2 tbsp water, if using pasteurised milk
- ½ tspliquid rennet in 50 ml cool water
Salting
- 60 gcoarse non-iodised salt
To serve
- olive oil
- olives and bread
- or sliced and grilled
Directions
- Warm the sheep’s milk to 32°C (90°F) and add the calcium chloride if the milk is pasteurised.
- Stir in the diluted rennet, still the milk, and leave 45 minutes until it gives a clean break.
- Cut the curd into 1 cm cubes — small, because this is a firm grilling cheese and small cubes expel more whey.
- Rest 10 minutes, then stir gently for 20 minutes while raising the temperature slowly to 38°C (100°F).
- Drain, pack the curd into a cloth-lined mould, and press under a 5 kg weight for 12 hours, turning and re-wrapping twice.
- Press it harder than you think. A cheese meant for the grill has to be dry enough to hold its shape over heat — an underpressed one slumps and runs through the bars.
- Turn the pressed cheese out, rub it all over with the coarse salt, and leave it on a rack in the fridge for three days, re-rubbing and turning daily as it weeps.
- It is ready when the surface is dry and firm and the inside is close-textured and squeaky. Wrap and keep refrigerated up to three weeks.
- To eat it grilled, cut 1 cm slices and lay them on a hot dry griddle for a minute or two a side until they colour and soften without melting.
- Serve with olive oil, olives and bread, which is how it comes to a table in Testour.
Technique
- Small curd cubes and a heavy press. That is what makes it grillable.
- Sheep’s milk is the cheese. Cow’s milk gives something else entirely.
- Rub and turn daily through the salting.
Substitutions
- Goat’s milk, or half sheep and half cow.
- Vegetarian microbial rennet.
- Kept longer in a cool place, where it dries hard enough to grate.
Variations
- The Cypriot halloumi and Levantine nabulsi are the nearest relatives.
- Crumbled over salads and into brik.
History
Made in Testour, a town rebuilt by Andalusian Muslims expelled from Spain in the early seventeenth century, who brought their sheep-cheese making with them.
Frequently asked questions
What is Testouri?
Testouri is a cheese & dairy from Tunisia: firm salty sheep’s-milk cheese, sliced and grilled or eaten with olives. Made in Testour, a town rebuilt by Andalusian Muslims expelled from Spain in the early seventeenth century, who brought their sheep-cheese making with them.
How long does Testouri take to make?
Testouri takes 1 hour plus 12 hours pressing and 3 days salting of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes makes about 700 g. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Testouri?
Yes, within limits. Goat’s milk, or half sheep and half cow. Vegetarian microbial rennet. Kept longer in a cool place, where it dries hard enough to grate.
