I recently bought a small portion of kasseri cheese out of curiosity - a chunk of about 5 or 6 ounces. I’d never tasted kasseri before but had seen it used in Greek recipes so wanted to try it. This chunk of cheese is like a salt-lick. I couldn’t believe how salty it is and couldn’t help but wonder if I’d gotten a bad piece though it is snowy white with no signs of mold. The recipes I have call for 1.5 to 2 cups of grated kasseri but I can’t imagine using that much without ending up with an inedible dish. Is this how kasseri is supposed to taste? Also, it was very dry and crumbly to the point that I don’t think it could be grated as the recipes suggests.
Yes, it is wonderful like that, like peccarino romano. I like to use in in omelets and other dishes that need salt. I do omit other added salt when I do this and may even skip salting the final product.
What kind of recipe do you have?
I’ve never tried Kasseri, but I wonder if it’s all salt that you’re tasting - some of the apparent salty tang of pecorino isn’t salt, it’s amino acids (or something) - it combines with the salt to make it taste more salty, if that makes sense.
Moving from IMHO to Cafe Society.
Maybe it is more of a ‘tang’ as opposed to salty flavor. I could imagine a small amount grated on top of salad or something but 1.5 cups in mashed potatoes (for a shepard’s pie topping) seems a bit excessive - whether it be tang or salt. Is it supposed to be as hard and dry as a pecorino?
You need to make Saganaki with that cheese!
Greek Saganaki
8 (1/2-inch) slices kasseri cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces each)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups brandy, or enough to cover cheese slices
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons butter
3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice
4 rounds of pita bread, brushed with olive oil, grilled and quartered
1 cup kalamata olives
Season both sides of the cheese with salt and pepper. Place the cheese in a shallow dish and cover with brandy. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Remove the cheese from the dish, reserving 1/4 cup of the brandy, and dredge in the seasoned flour, coating completely.
In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Pan-fry the cheese for 2 minutes on each side. Add the reserved brandy and carefully flame the liquor, shaking the pan back and forth several times. Add the lemon juice, to taste. Remove from the pan and serve with the pita bread and olives.