Idiazabal

Idiazábal Smoked Sheep's Milk Cheese (Queso Ahumado de Oveja Latxa)

Idiazábal is the iconic smoked sheep's-milk cheese of the Basque Country and Navarre, traditionally made by shepherds from raw Latxa or Carranzana sheep milk during the spring transhumance. This recipe follows the DOP method: rennet-set curd, pressed into tall cylinders, brined, aged, and cold-smoked over beech wood.

Prep

120 min

Cook

60 min

Total

180 min

Serves

Makes 1 wheel of about 2 kg (4½ lb)

Difficulty

Hard

Recipe ingredients

• •16 L (4¼ gal) raw Latxa or Carranzana sheep milk, raw milk from these breeds is mandatory for an authentic DOP wheel; pasteurised cow or ewe milk will not reproduce the flavour
• •1 g (¼ tsp) traditional kid or lamb rennet, diluted in 60 ml (¼ cup) cool non-chlorinated water
• •2 ml (½ tsp) calcium chloride solution (30%), optional, helps curd set if milk is aged; skip for very fresh raw milk
• •1 g (¼ tsp) starter culture (mesophilic, e.g. MA4001), traditional wheels rely on wild cultures; a small inoculation improves reproducibility in a home kitchen
• •60 g (¼ cup) food-grade sea salt, non-iodised, for the brine
• •20 g (2 oz salt per 1 gal water) brine, cool, fully saturated brine; can be reused

Steps

1. 1 Heat the raw sheep milk in a stainless-steel pot to 32 °C (90 °F). Stir in the calcium chloride (if using), then sprinkle the mesophilic starter over the surface and let it rehydrate for 2 minutes before stirring gently.
2. 2 Cover and ripen the milk at 32 °C for 45 minutes to 1 hour to develop the mild lactic acidity.
3. 3 Add the diluted rennet and stir gently for 1 minute. Hold the milk still at 32 °C for 35–45 minutes until you get a clean break: a firm curd that splits cleanly when the back of a spoon is drawn through it.
4. 4 Cut the curd into 1.5 cm (about ½ in) cubes. Let the cubes rest 5 minutes, then begin a slow cook: raise the temperature to 38 °C (100 °F) over 20 minutes, stirring gently. Hold at 38 °C for 30–45 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until the cubes are firm and a handful squeezed in the fist releases a clear, slightly yellow whey.
5. 5 Let the curds settle for 10 minutes, then drain off most of the whey. Ladle the curds into a traditional cylindrical Idiazábal mould (about 12–15 cm / 4¾–6 in tall, 10 cm / 4 in in diameter) lined with cheesecloth.
6. 6 Press at 5 kg / 11 lb for 30 minutes, flip the wheel, press at 8 kg / 18 lb for 2 hours, flip again, then press at 10 kg / 22 lb for 12 hours in a cool room (10–12 °C / 50–54 °F). The wheel should hold its tall, drum-like shape with a smooth, closed rind.
7. 7 Unmould and dry-salt the surface: rub a thin, even layer of non-iodised sea salt over all sides. Refrigerate (10–12 °C / 50–54 °F) and re-salt once more after 24 hours, then leave uncovered for another 24 hours so a dry rind forms. Alternatively, immerse in saturated brine at 10–12 °C for 18–24 hours, then dry off.
8. 8 Age the wheel in a cave or cool cellar at 10–12 °C and 85–90% humidity for a minimum of 60 days, turning every other day for the first 2 weeks, then twice a week. The paste will turn ivory to pale yellow and the rind will firm into a waxy, pale-gold to amber coat. A traditional Idiazábal is aged 2–6 months; longer aging (up to 9 months) deepens the buttery, nutty flavour.
9. 9 Cold-smoke over beech wood (traditional); cherry or hawthorn wood is also authentic. Set up a cold-smoker at 20–25 °C (68–77 °F) — the cheese must NEVER cook or melt. Smoke for 4–8 hours, resting the wheel uncovered in a cool, dry place between sessions. The DOP method usually gives the cheese several short smokes over 2–4 days; aim for a deep amber rind without softening the paste. The internal temperature of the wheel must remain below 30 °C (86 °F) the entire time.
10. 10 After smoking, rest the wheel in a cool cellar at 10–12 °C and 85% humidity for at least 2 more weeks so the smoke flavour mellows and blends with the paste.
11. 11 Serve at room temperature (18–22 °C / 64–72 °F), cut into wedges or shavings. Pair with quince paste (membrillo), walnuts, a dry Basque cider, or a young Rioja red.