A lesson in chemistry and the best ways to cook with leftover cheese.
Photographed by Lateef Okunnu.
Leftover cheese? Unlikely! However, if you do find yourself with odd bits and bobs of brie, blue, and cheddar, don’t bin them.
Instead, whip them into something delicious. But before you get to melting, consider this: Cheese is a viscoelastic material, meaning it has properties of both a liquid and a solid. How it responds to force and heat is what determines whether it melts well, stubbornly holds its shape, or turns into an oily puddle.
The ideal melting cheese has high fat content, high moisture, low insoluble calcium, and a well-aged, broken-down protein (through proteolysis) matrix. These conditions allow the casein network (the web of milk proteins that gives cheese its structure) to relax and flow evenly when heat is applied. Young, high-moisture cheeses such as mozzarella hit this sweet spot, which is why they melt so beautifully. Meanwhile, predominantly acid-coagulated cheeses, like classic French goat cheese, tend to hold their shape under heat, no matter how much you wish they’d whisk into a sauce.
There’s also the phenomenon of “oiling off.” This happens when fat separates from the protein matrix during cooking and pools on the surface. It usually occurs when the fat-to-protein ratio in certain cheeses is high, leaving proportionally less protein matrix to trap the fat. A little oiling off can be useful (it lubricates the cheese and helps prevent over browning), but too much can make a dish greasy. Some aged Italian cheeses are prone to this, so keep that in mind when using them in hot applications.
MATHEW CARVER’S GAME CHANGER FONDUE RECIPE
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups of Stilton or other crumbly blue
- 1 1/2 cups aged gouda rind removed
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup hard cider
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons brandy
- Finely chopped chives to garnish
Instructions
- Mix cheeses together in a large bowl. Add cornstarch and toss to evenly coat the cheese.
- Add the cider, cream, and brandy to a fondue pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and add the cheese mixture.
- Whisk until smooth and the cheese is fully melted. Sprinkle with chopped chives and serve immediately with crusty bread, vegetables, or other vehicles.
Tracey Colley
Tracey Colley has worked in the cheese industry for over 20 years; as an award-winning deli owner, a top tier Account Manager and Events Organizer for fine food & cheese Distributor Harvey & Brockless, and currently as Founding Director and Operations Officer of the Academy of Cheese. Tracey has judged at the World Cheese Awards for many years as well as the International Cheese & Dairy Awards and Artisan Cheese Awards.
