From the recipe collection
Cavite Quesillo
Cavite-style quesillo with tender lightly salted curds, drained just enough to hold shape while retaining a fresh milky centre.
- Prep time
- 25 min plus draining
- Cook time
- 15 min
- Yield
- Makes about 300–350 g
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Ingredients
Tick ingredients as you prepare.
Method
- Clean and sanitise the pot, spoon, thermometer, strainer, and cheesecloth with boiling water, then let them air-dry.
- Heat the milk slowly over medium-low heat, stirring along the bottom, until it reaches 82–85°C and is steaming but not boiling hard.
- Turn off the heat. Add 3 tablespoons acid in a thin stream while stirring gently for no more than 10 seconds.
- Leave undisturbed 10 minutes. The curds should gather clearly and the whey should look yellow-green; if still milky, add the final tablespoon of acid and wait again.
- Ladle the curds into cheesecloth rather than pouring roughly, which can break them into dry crumbs.
- Drain about 15–20 minutes, or until the curds are tender and cohesive without becoming dry. Do not squeeze unless you want a firmer cheese.
- Sprinkle with salt and fold only two or three times. Add cream or reserved whey by the teaspoon if the curds feel drier than desired.
- Shape gently, wrap in clean banana leaves or pack into a covered container, chill promptly, and serve fresh with bread, puto, suman, tomatoes, or rice.