Wandering around the new Wegman’s the other day looking for some good shredded Parmesan cheese - and there was a lady behind the counter cutting up large quantities of rinds.
I’ve heard of this being used as a flavoring for soups, so I bought a container of them.
What next?
I did find a few recipes for minestrone; other suggestions welcomed.
BTW - they also had containers of Parmesan crisps, which I’ve had once or twice before, so I bought some. Nothing but Parmesan cheese, mounded on parchment or silicone, and baked for 5-6 minutes until crunchy. Like a pure umame explosion in your mouth, with a crunch. I was stunned at how easy they are to make, and must investigate this further, very soon.
The crisps you describe are also known as frico. Adding some herbs can be a nice touch, like parsley or basil, though I’m kind of a purist. It’s possible to use other cheeses, too. Even cheddar can make a nice crisp.
As for the rind, putting it in a soup or sauce is pretty much the way to do it. Some of it will melt off and flavor the batch. I don’t think it’s a big enough difference to be worth buying the rinds, but if you were going to toss them out anyway, it’s a way to wring a little extra value out of them.
The Gargoyle household makes this all the time…super quick and easy, a larger hunk of parmesan rind will make it progressively heavier and heartier (and yummier IMO).
I put rinds into tomato sauce while its simmering.
Theres no trick to it you just drop them in, simmer as long as desired and fish out the remains before serving (it will get really soft as it cooks, but not dissolve completely).
Soups, especially if vegetarian. Stews. Red sauces. Just chuck a rind in the pot, then fish it out and dispose at the end of cooking. Mine also come attached to the parmesan wedge, but they don’t grate well, so i save and toss in the freezer until ready to use.
:smack:I had planned to try this vegetarian minestrone soup recipe and was going to save my parm rinds to try it. But I kept forgetting and would grate them with the rest of the cheese. :smack:
ETA: I normally buy Locatelli Romano cheese – think those rinds could be used instead of parm? I realize it would have a stronger flavour.
The trick, I find, is to grate them when there’s still an inch or so of the ‘flesh’ attached and you grate them on the fine side of the mandolin. Then they grate just fine.
I make pasta and chickpea soup with a tomato base. You put the rind in while cooking and the take it out at the end. But you don’t throw it out. It will be very soft. I cut it into 1cm squares and put it back in. They make delicious, chewy, little flavor bombs.
