There are people who love cheese and people who hate cheese. Personally, I love cheese so much I could live on it! Well, I’d need some sherry too, but we all have to drink to survive, right? So, of the cheeses I really love, Torta del Casar is one of my favourites – I think it’s one of the best cheeses in the world. It is made from sheep’s milk, and has a silky, creamy texture, along with a bold aroma and a rich, slightly salty, flavour. There is a subtle bitterness to it that balances so well with the ripe creaminess. Cutting off the top of this cheese to reveal the creaminess within is a magical experience: it is like fondue at room temperature! Follow this recipe to heaven on a plate. As you can see in the picture, it is more cheese than mushrooms. Divine.
Ingredients
- 8 small slices of crusty white bread
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 400g mixed mushrooms, torn
- 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 5 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
- 140g Torta del Casar cheese, at room temperature
- sea salt flakes
- thyme sprigs, to garnish
Serves: 4
Time: 20 minutes
Method
Heat a frying pan over a medium–high heat. Drizzle the bread with some of the oil on both sides and fry in the pan until golden, working in batches if necessary, then set aside and sprinkle with a little flaky sea salt.
Return the empty pan to the heat, increasing the heat a little. Add the remaining oil and, once hot, add the mushrooms. Cook for 3–4 minutes until lightly golden, then add the garlic and thyme leaves. Cook for a further 2 minutes until everything is golden and caramelised.
Spoon the mushrooms over the toast slices, scatter with thyme sprigs, then spoon over the gooey Torta del Casar and serve.
Tip: Torta del Casar needs to be really ripe for it to be spoonable. If it’s not as gooey as you would like, dollop spoonfuls on to the toasts and then pop under a hot grill (broiler) for 10–20 seconds to melt the cheese a little.
The Spanish Home Kitchen
by José Pizarro, RRP$60.00,
Hardie Grant Books
