Akawi cheese is soft, mild and slightly salty.
Cheese is loved the world over. It is served as an appetizer, an ingredient in entrees and is an important feature in many desserts. Akawi cheese, also known as Akkawi cheese, is a brine cheese native to the historical region of Palestine in modern day Israel. It is typically made from cow milk, but can also be made using goat or sheep milk. It is a soft, white cheese with a smooth texture and mild, slightly salty, taste. Akawi cheese is served with fruit, alone as a table cheese, fried or as an ingredient in desserts.
Instructions
1. Fill the bottom section of the double boiler with water. Fill the top of the double boiler with 1-gallon of milk. Add 2-teaspoons of salt and two rennet capsules to the milk. Bring to a boil, following the rennet manufacturer's instructions. Rennet is a complex of enzymes that aids in the curdling of the milk.
2. Strain the curdled milk, using a kitchen strainer. This separates the liquid, known as whey, from the curds. Lay the curds on a section of cheesecloth. Wrap the curds and tightly squeeze, over the kitchen sink, releasing as much remaining moisture as possible,
3. Remove the curds from the cheesecloth. Gather the curds together and form a ball. Set the ball in a glass or Pyrex container. Cover with a layer of cheesecloth. Put the covered bowl in a cool spot, away from light, for two weeks. An ideal temperature is 45 to 50 degrees. This begins the aging process.
4. Bring the container of cheese into the kitchen after the two-week period. Create a brine by adding one pound of salt to 1/2-gallon of room temperature water. Stir or shake the solution to thoroughly mix. Generously wipe the surface of the aging cheese with the brine, using a piece of cheesecloth. Cover and replace the cheese in its aging spot for another two weeks.
5. Repeat this process every two weeks for a total of eight weeks. For a sharper taste, repeat this process for up to an additional four weeks beyond the eight-week aging period.
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