[Sca-cooks] Deep fried paneer

[Stefan li Rous]

Adamantius replied to me with:
> Panir doesn't really melt, not really. Neither does fresh queso
> blanco, AFAIK, and for the same reason. The curds are like a network
> of long protein molecules (casein, I think) containing water, sugars,
> fat, and such, rather like a sponge. As the cheese ages, bacteria
> create (among other things) enzymes that break down the casein,
> making the cheese much more dependent on firm, chilled butterfat for
> its structure. When you heat up the [aged] cheese, most of what is
> holding it in shape becomes a liquid, and the cheese melts.

Ah! Thank you! This makes a lot of sense. I've tried the period fried
cheese/fritter recipes before and I mainly got a big mess. I think I
used a cheddar or at least an aged cheese. I will have to try this
again sometime and keep your comments in mind when choosing the
cheese.

For those who might be interested in period fried cheese recipes,
you might want to check these files in the FOOD section of the
Florilegium:
fried-cheese-msg   (9K)  8/20/02    Period fried cheese recipes.
fried-foods-msg   (33K)  1/ 4/01    Medieval fried foods. Recipes.
frittours-msg     (45K)  1/ 8/02    Period fried breaded foods. Recipes.

Stefan