Raveggiolo (Home-made cream cheese)
- Preparation time: 10 minutes.
- Standing time: 20 hours
- One litre milk
- Rennet
- Rocket salad leaves
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Vinegar
- Salt.
|
|
Add the rennet to the milk, stir in well and pour into a large soup tureen, lined with fine muslin. Leave to stand for at least twenty hours and when the mixture has become fairly thick and solid in consistency, use the muslin to lift it out of the bowl. Let all water drain away and turn the cheese out onto a serving platter. Add salt and serve garnished with leaves of rocket, tossed in a dressing of oil, vinegar and salt.
Raveggiola requires either cow or goat's milk, taken straight from the animal and thus not subjected to industrial heat treatment. It really is worth the time and effort involved in preparing this delicious soft cheese to savour its delicately sharp flavour: This is a good dish to accompany a summer evening's dinner. Raveggiola was often made into smaller forms and left to mature for several months.
If you have a cool, well-aired and dry cellar, you could try this too: the forms should be set on wooden planks so that the cheese can 'breath' propely. In the past raveggiolo was known as giuncata (giunco = rushes) after the little plaited rush baskets in which it was left to thicken. In fact the Anonimo Toscano gives us a recipe entitled 'De la ioncada'.
