[Sca-cooks] Re: Melca

[Sheila McClune]

> From: Patrick Levesque <patrick.levesque at elf.mcgill.ca>

> Notes : Melcas : with pepper and liquamen, or salt, oil and coriander,
> Melcas is, as far as I can tell, some form of curdled milk (or milk curdled
> with vinegar). It may have been similar to buttermilk, but I need to
> research this topic a bit more. For convenience¹s sake I¹ve used instead
> cottage cheese, mixed with the appropriate ingredients.
> 
>             This is a redaction that does not satisfy me properly (mostly
> because it is still unclear to me what melcas is exactly). However I have
> decided to include it in the feast in order to have a different kind of
> spread than the usual honey butter.
<<<

Well, I've done melca, and here's the recipe I've used:


Melca [Fresh Cheese (Curds)]

"The best method for making what are known as curds is to pour sharp
vinegar into new earthenware pots and then to put these pots on a slow
fire.  When the vinegar begins to boil, take it off the flame so it does
not bubble over and pour milk into the pots.  Place the pots in a store
or some other place where they will not be disturbed.  The next day you
will have curds that are much better than those made with a great deal
of fuss."
--Bassus, Country Matters .

From:
Grant, Mark.  Roman Cookery:  Ancient Recipes for Modern Kitchens. 
Serif, London, 2000.  ISBN 1-897959-39-7.

My re-creation:

1 quart whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 pinches salt (about 1/8 teaspoon)

In a saucepan over low heat, mix milk and cream and heat to just over
body temperature (105-110 degrees F).  Set aside.  In a heavy saucepan,
heat vinegar to boiling.  Remove vinegar from heat and pour the milk
into the vinegar pan.  Let stand just until curds form (this should
happen almost right away - if not, try stirring gently).  Line a
colander with heavy cheesecloth  and strain the mixture through this. 
Tie up the four corners of the cloth and let hang for 2-4 hours to drain
off the whey.  Transfer cheese to serving dish and stir in salt.  Makes
1 1/4 cup.

Additional notes:  This recipe also works well with goat milk, but the
curds formed will be very fine (about the size of grains of salt), so
you will need very fine cloth to strain the cheese.  I used a linen
napkin.

Balsamic vinegar is too strongly flavored for this recipe.  It will make
an extremely sour cheese.

If possible, use a ceramic- or enamel-coated pan to make the cheese. 
Otherwise, the acid will leach metal into the cheese and spoil the
flavor.  If you don't have a ceramic- or enamel-coated pan, then remove
the cheese from the pan as quickly as possible.