Quick Jāņu cheese (Midsummer cheese)

Ingredients

• 1 kg cottage cheese (soft and lumpy, not finely grainy)
• 0.5 l milk
• 100 g butter
• 2 eggs
• 1–2 tbsp caraway seeds
• salt, to taste
• large piece of cheesecloth or round bowl / deep dish

Method

1. Heat the milk in a saucepan. Add the cottage cheese and stir gently until it becomes lumpy and separate from the whey.
2. Strain the mixture through a sieve.
3. Melt the butter in the saucepan, return the cheese, and stir in the eggs, caraway seeds, and salt to taste. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is elastic and pulls away from the saucepan.
4. With cheesecloth: moisten the cloth with whey, lay it in two layers, pour in the cheese, and tie the corners forming the shape. Hang or press with a board and weight. Let cool slightly, remove the cloth, rub lightly with salt, and leave to dry. Once the cheese has cooled and the surface has dried, store it in a cool place in a covered container or wrapped in cling film.
5. Without cheesecloth: pour the cheese into a greased bowl or deep dish and proceed as above. You can grease the bowl or dish with butter before adding the cheese.
6. It can be served with fresh berries, wild or garden strawberries, or drizzled with runny honey. The next day, pan-fry slices: coat in egg and breadcrumbs or fry in melted butter in a non-stick pan. Serve with fresh salad.