Every time I pass any cheese counter, I catch sight of the Manchego cheese and I think of Spain. España! I mean, just the sound of it conjures romantic, exotic visuals! Sí?
From my one and only visit—so far—to Spain way, way back in 1972, I only remember a couple of places. Oh my! That’s 38 years ago; amazing that I remember anything about Spain! But, I do remember the feel of the city of Madrid in May, and the totally European tourist/non-Spanish feel of Torremolinos, along the Costa del Sol—what I remember most about Torremolinos were the Germans and Swedes frolicking on the beach and partying all night! I remember Toledo and El Greco’s paintings, and who could forget Barcelona!
So, how does Manchego fit into this quixotic imagery? First of all, it’s an aged whole milk cheese (at bottom of the platter shown above) made of t
he milk of manchega sheep in La Mancha. The climate in that region of Spain is harsh, favoring the growth of very tough plants that comprise the diet for an ancestral breed of sheep. This very specific combination produces a very specific tasting cheese. There are recorded attempts to make Manchego cheese elsewhere in and outside of Spain, but the results do not compare to the regional taste of the cheese made in the La Mancha region.
La Mancha was named by the Arabs, who termed it Al Mansha, or waterless land, a perfect description of this rocky, high plateau (2,000’) region of Spain. It forms an ecosys
tem of vegetation—mainly grains and legumes—that survives the extreme summer heat and the deep frosts of the La Mancha winter, and the breed of sheep that adapted and thrives in those conditions. (Doesn’t it remind you of the extreme, elongated forms painted by El Greco? I know. I know. That has nothing to do with cheese!)
Manchego cheese is probably one the most important and well-known sheep’s milk cheeses in Spain. The rich, semi-firm cheese is aged in natural caves for three to six months. It has a characteristic shape and definition, due to the traditional use of grass molds, which imprinted a zigzag pattern along the side of the cheese wheel. A wooden board was used for pressing the cheese, which also imprinted a typical wheat pattern on the top and bottom. Now modern manufacturers use molds that replicate that traditional patterning.
From my one and only visit—so far—to Spain way, way back in 1972, I only remember a couple of places. Oh my! That’s 38 years ago; amazing that I remember anything about Spain! But, I do remember the feel of the city of Madrid in May, and the totally European tourist/non-Spanish feel of Torremolinos, along the Costa del Sol—what I remember most about Torremolinos were the Germans and Swedes frolicking on the beach and partying all night! I remember Toledo and El Greco’s paintings, and who could forget Barcelona!
So, how does Manchego fit into this quixotic imagery? First of all, it’s an aged whole milk cheese (at bottom of the platter shown above) made of t
he milk of manchega sheep in La Mancha. The climate in that region of Spain is harsh, favoring the growth of very tough plants that comprise the diet for an ancestral breed of sheep. This very specific combination produces a very specific tasting cheese. There are recorded attempts to make Manchego cheese elsewhere in and outside of Spain, but the results do not compare to the regional taste of the cheese made in the La Mancha region.La Mancha was named by the Arabs, who termed it Al Mansha, or waterless land, a perfect description of this rocky, high plateau (2,000’) region of Spain. It forms an ecosys
tem of vegetation—mainly grains and legumes—that survives the extreme summer heat and the deep frosts of the La Mancha winter, and the breed of sheep that adapted and thrives in those conditions. (Doesn’t it remind you of the extreme, elongated forms painted by El Greco? I know. I know. That has nothing to do with cheese!)Manchego cheese is probably one the most important and well-known sheep’s milk cheeses in Spain. The rich, semi-firm cheese is aged in natural caves for three to six months. It has a characteristic shape and definition, due to the traditional use of grass molds, which imprinted a zigzag pattern along the side of the cheese wheel. A wooden board was used for pressing the cheese, which also imprinted a typical wheat pattern on the top and bottom. Now modern manufacturers use molds that replicate that traditional patterning.
It’s a protected regional cheese and is labeled “Denominación de Origen Protegida” (D.O.P.) If it doesn’t have that labeling, the cheese is known commonly as a “Manchego style” cheese. Aside from the milk having to come from regional sheep, the labeling also attests to the fact that the aging period is a minimum of 60 days. The cheese is pressed and uncooked, the color is ivory to pale yellow, and you do not eat the rind.
The taste? I’ve seen it described as “Delicious-slightly piquant and nutty” on www.cheesefromspain.com/Manchego. I think it has a distinct, complex taste, but not too strong, slightly buttery, and a little salty, but not unpleasantly so. Some say it has a sheep milk after taste, but I don’t think my taste buds are that sophisticated as to discern that, or maybe I do and I just don't know the lingo. It’s semi-firm and slices or grates easily.
I ate it with Spanish olives, which are very salty, and it made a pleasant combination. I also put a little slice of quince paste, or a teaspoon of fig spread on a slice of Manchego and it was heavenly! The slightly sweet was excellent with the slightly salty.
“Cheese From Spain” recommends a pairing with a robust red wine (Rioja) or a dry sherry (Fino). It’s said, “The aromatic intensity of a Manzanilla wine makes it an excellent foil for this cheese.” If you’re not a wine person, try this cheese with Pilsener or medium-bodied beer.
A traditional way to enjoy it in Spain is having it served on toasted bread that has been rubbed with garlic and tomato, then drizzled with olive oil.
We can thank “Food & Wine” and Jose Garces for the following recipe. Talk about comfort food!
Herbed Potato Gratin with Roasted Garlic and Manchego
Ingredients
3 heads of garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 qt half and half
1 tbsp chopped thyme
1 tsp chopped rosemary
salt and freshly ground pepper
5 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced
9 oz aged Manchego cheese, coarsely shredded (2 C)
5 oz San Simon or smoked Gouda cheese, shredded (1 C)
Directions
Preheat oven to 375º. In 9-in cake pan, drizzle garlic with oil. Cover with foil and roast 40 min., until tender. Let cool, then squeeze out the cloves.
The taste? I’ve seen it described as “Delicious-slightly piquant and nutty” on www.cheesefromspain.com/Manchego. I think it has a distinct, complex taste, but not too strong, slightly buttery, and a little salty, but not unpleasantly so. Some say it has a sheep milk after taste, but I don’t think my taste buds are that sophisticated as to discern that, or maybe I do and I just don't know the lingo. It’s semi-firm and slices or grates easily.
I ate it with Spanish olives, which are very salty, and it made a pleasant combination. I also put a little slice of quince paste, or a teaspoon of fig spread on a slice of Manchego and it was heavenly! The slightly sweet was excellent with the slightly salty.
“Cheese From Spain” recommends a pairing with a robust red wine (Rioja) or a dry sherry (Fino). It’s said, “The aromatic intensity of a Manzanilla wine makes it an excellent foil for this cheese.” If you’re not a wine person, try this cheese with Pilsener or medium-bodied beer.
A traditional way to enjoy it in Spain is having it served on toasted bread that has been rubbed with garlic and tomato, then drizzled with olive oil.
We can thank “Food & Wine” and Jose Garces for the following recipe. Talk about comfort food!
Herbed Potato Gratin with Roasted Garlic and Manchego
Ingredients
3 heads of garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 qt half and half
1 tbsp chopped thyme
1 tsp chopped rosemary
salt and freshly ground pepper
5 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced
9 oz aged Manchego cheese, coarsely shredded (2 C)
5 oz San Simon or smoked Gouda cheese, shredded (1 C)
Directions
Preheat oven to 375º. In 9-in cake pan, drizzle garlic with oil. Cover with foil and roast 40 min., until tender. Let cool, then squeeze out the cloves.
Mash the garlic to a paste and transfer to a saucepan. Add hald and half, thyme and rosemary and bring to boil. Simmer over very low heat until reduced to 3 cups, 20 min., season with salt and pepper.
Arrange ¼ of the potatoes in the bottom of a 9x13” baking dish. Top with ¼ of the shredded cheeses and drizzle lightly with the garlic cream. Repeat the layering with the remaining potatoes, cheese and cream. Pour any remaining cream on top and press the top layer of potatoes to submerge it.
Bake the gratin for about 1-1/2 hrs, until golden and bubbling. Let cool for 20 min. before cutting into squares and serving.
Aside from the recipe above and the simple cheese slices with quince or fig, I also tried M
anchego cheese quesadillas (see photos). It was good tasting, but I got my fruit mixed up and my photos show cranberries in the cheese. The recipe actually called for quince paste cut up and included in the melted cheese … oops … the cranberries weren’t bad, I ate the whole thing, but I later tried the quesadillas with quince paste and they do taste better. Another way I enjoyed eating the Manchego quesadillas was without any fruit in the melted cheese, but eaten along with a sweet, delicious tangerine. Oh! And another time I threw some seasoned cooked chicken c
hunks into the quesadillas and that was yummy! Let your imagination be your guide.
I found a number of other great recipes like Cheese-stuffed Risotto Cakes and an absolutely mouth-watering Black Pepper-Manchego Cheese Puffs! You can find them at http://www.chow.com/
I did a sampling of five different Spanish cheese, and Manchego was only one of the five, but it seems to have dominated this entry. So, I’ll talk about the other Spanish cheeses in the next blog entry.
anchego cheese quesadillas (see photos). It was good tasting, but I got my fruit mixed up and my photos show cranberries in the cheese. The recipe actually called for quince paste cut up and included in the melted cheese … oops … the cranberries weren’t bad, I ate the whole thing, but I later tried the quesadillas with quince paste and they do taste better. Another way I enjoyed eating the Manchego quesadillas was without any fruit in the melted cheese, but eaten along with a sweet, delicious tangerine. Oh! And another time I threw some seasoned cooked chicken c
hunks into the quesadillas and that was yummy! Let your imagination be your guide.I found a number of other great recipes like Cheese-stuffed Risotto Cakes and an absolutely mouth-watering Black Pepper-Manchego Cheese Puffs! You can find them at http://www.chow.com/
I did a sampling of five different Spanish cheese, and Manchego was only one of the five, but it seems to have dominated this entry. So, I’ll talk about the other Spanish cheeses in the next blog entry.
Buying and cooking with this cheese didn't improve my high school Spanish, nor did I immediately break into thrilling and accomplished Flamenco dance steps. But my good ol' American tastebuds did absolutely delight in the experience! I must admit that I did a little shoe stomping and syncopated clapping as I prepared my quesadillas! Olé!
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