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Cicvara
Cicvara: Montenegrin highland porridge of kajmak, young cheese and cornmeal
Shepherds' huts on the Durmitor and Sinjajevina plateaus in northern Montenegro gave the Balkans cicvara, a dish of kajmak and young cheese melted slowly with cornmeal until it turns rich, golden and stretchy and butter seeps out at the edges. It is stirred and eaten hot, often at breakfast after early milking, with a cup of cold sour milk or plain yogurt to cut the richness. Young cheese for this is fresh and mild; most is made with rennet, so look for one with vegetarian rennet if you need to, and use clotted cream if you can't get kajmak. A common mistake is turning up the heat to hurry it, which burns the bottom and makes the cheese seize into rubbery lumps. Chef's tip: stir with a wooden spoon in figure-of-eight strokes and keep going until a thread of cheese stretches as you lift it.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 9 oz young fresh cheesemild, unsalted or lightly salted, crumbled; vegetarian rennet if needed
- ¾ cup water
- 3 ½ oz fine cornmeal
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ¾ cups sour milk or plain yogurt (optional)chilled, to serve
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Melt 7 oz kajmak or clotted cream in a heavy pan over a low heat for 3–4 minutes, until it is liquid and starting to bubble gently.
4 minStep 2: Add 9 oz young fresh cheese and ¾ cup water and stir for 3–4 minutes, until the cheese softens and begins to melt into the cream.
4 minStep 3: Sprinkle in 3 ½ oz fine cornmeal a spoonful at a time, stirring constantly so no lumps form.
3 minStep 4: Keep stirring over a low heat for 12–15 minutes, until the mixture is thick, glossy and stretchy, pulls away from the sides and golden butter starts to seep out round the edges.
14 minStep 5: Season with ½ tsp salt, taste, and serve hot with a glass of cold 1 ¾ cups sour milk or plain yogurt.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 21 g
- Fat
- 46 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cicvara take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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