It's a bit of a job but so good to make your own halloumi
Course Basic
Cuisine Middle eastern
Keyword milk
Prep Time 1 hourhr
Cook Time 1 hourhr
Resting time 3 daysd
Total Time 3 daysd2 hourshrs
Servings 1portion
Equipment
1 soup pan
cheese cloth
colander
cheese mold
food thermometer
Ingredients
2ltrpasturised full cream milk A2 Meadowfresh (I used organic full fat milk)
½tsprennet Rencomixed with ½ tsp water
Instructions
In a large stainless steel saucepan heat the milk to 32˚C, using a food thermometer.
Add the rennet when milk has reached 32˚C and stir for a few seconds until you know that it is properly distributed.
Let the milk sit with a lid on the pan in an unheated oven (this provides an environment that is undisturbed and remains stable in temperature) for about 40 minutes or until a firm curd has formed and the whey is clearly separated from the curd.
Cut the curds into squares trying to keep them in the same size as much as possible. This is easy with a sharp knife.
Rest for 5 minutes, then using a waterbath keep the pan to 35˚C-38˚C and stir gently with your hand or a spoon. You can do this on the stove but I found it easier to control the temperature through a waterbath.
The squares should look smooth and lightly elastic.
Carefully drain the contents of the pan into a colander lined with cheesecloth and let it drain until the majority of the whey is gone. About 30 minutes. Make sure to catch the whey in a pot below the colander. You need it later.
Put the curds into a cheese mold. I used one of 750 gr content. You can use two smaller ones too if you prefer. Line the mould with cheesecloth put the curds in and cover with the cheesecloth. Put a chopping board on top and weigh it down with a pan filled with water.
Let it sit for at least an hour (probably two) and maybe even longer, until the cheese that comes out is quite firm.
Now cut the Halloumi cheese into thick slices of about 1-2 centimeter each.
Reheat the whey to 85˚C-90˚C, then turn the heat off and add the halloumi pieces to the whey.
Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring from time to time. The cheese will rise to the surface. Mine didn't as it was probably not dense enough.
Take the cheese slices out, add a pinch of salt on each side and let them dry for a bit on a cooling rack.
Make a brine with 50% leftover whey, 50% boiling water and 10% salt and put the halloumi pieces in.
The halloumi will keep up to two weeks in the brine, in the fridge.