August 1, 2018
Say Cheese
From making our own cheese at home, to whipping up easy and cheesy meals, Lyndall Dykes takes us back to basics.
Mascarpone and white wine fettuccine
serves 4
Ingredients
400g fresh fettuccine
250g mascarpone
100ml dry white wine
12 kalettes or broccolini
Dill sprigs, to garnish
Salt and pepper, to season
Method
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add the kalettes or broccolini and cook for 2 minutes (do not over cook), then remove from the boiling water and set aside.
Cook the fettuccini following the packet instructions. If using fresh pasta, cook for 3 minutes, or until al dente.
Meanwhile, add the mascarpone and wine into a large frying pan (it will need to be large enough to hold all the pasta). Stir over medium heat until combined and warm, do not boil.
When the pasta is cooked, add it to the mascarpone and white wine sauce and stir through. Season to taste.
To serve, divide the pasta between four pasta bowls. Place 3 kalettes or broccolini on each bowl, garnish with dill and season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Pull-apart bread
Ingredients
250g baker’s flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon bread improver
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons dried yeast
2 teaspoons dried herbs
20ml oil
150ml warm water or whey
250g grated cheddar cheese
1 egg, beaten
Method
Combine the flour, salt, bread improver, sugar, yeast, herbs and oil. Add most of the water to bring the dough together and knead for 10 minutes until dough is smooth. (Hold back a little water to adjust moisture level as needed.)
After kneading your dough for 10 minutes, take a bit of the dough and stretch to make a window, this will tell you if the dough is ready. Allow to prove by keeping your dough covered and in a warm place. This will take approximately 1 hour.
Knock back the dough and roll out to approximately 1cm thick and cut into random shapes. In a lined greased round baking dish, place a third of the cut dough shapes, starting from the centre overlapping slightly to form your first layer. Don’t go to the edges, as you will need room for the dough to rise and expand. Sprinkle with a third of the cheese. Place a second layer of the dough on top and sprinkle with a third of the cheese. Place the remaining dough over the first two layers.
Glaze the top layer with a beaten egg before adding the last of the cheese. Allow to prove, this will take approximately 45 minutes.
Bake at 180°C for approximately 20 minutes, or until your bread is golden and sounds hollow when tapped. Your bread is best served warm.
Recipes extracted from The Cheesemaking Workshop, RRP $35, available from all good book retailers or New Holland Publishers, newhollandpublishers.com
