![Partially sliced round yellow egg cheese on a plate](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.thespruceeats.com/thmb/RalCsHHT-5Zbv4mib4YyfiN1v4U=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/slovak-egg-cheese-recipe-for-easter-1137379-hero-01-ac63b49b9a574430be4e1dbe78f40d8d.jpg)
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This recipe for Slovak egg cheese is typically served at Easter time and goes by various names including hrudka, cirak, sirok, sirecz and more. Essentially, it's a ball of eggs and milk that have been cooked until the proteins separate into curds and the liquid separates into the whey. The technique for making hrudka is similar to making farmers cheese. Hrudka can be made savory with salt and sometimes pepper or sweetened with sugar. It's always included in the basket of Easter foods to be blessed on Holy Saturday and not eaten until the next morning, Easter Sunday, with other traditional blessed foods like beet horseradish, ham, sausage (klobása), salt and paska bread.
Ingredients
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12 large eggs
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1 quart whole milk
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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6 whole black peppercorns, crushed, optional
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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Beat eggs in top of a double boiler.
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Add milk and salt (and pepper if using) and mix thoroughly.
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Fill bottom pan of double boiler with about an inch of water. Bring water to a boil and turn down heat so that it is simmering.
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Place upper pan containing eggs and milk over (not in) pan with simmering water.
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Stir frequently with a wooden spoon until mixture curdles, approximately 20 to 30 minutes or until no more whey (the liquid) is exuded. By the way, don't throw away the whey! Use it in place of the milk in this paska Easter bread recipe.
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Line a colander with damp butter muslin or two layers of cheesecloth that is large enough to hang over sides of colander. Place muslin-lined colander over a bowl to catch any whey.
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Use a skimmer or slotted spoon to ladle curds into cheesecloth. Allow curds to drain for 10 minutes.
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Gather up edges of cheesecloth to form a bundle to drain as much whey as possible from egg cheese. Use a length of butcher's twine to tie cheesecloth containing curds into a neat bundle, pressing on cheesecloth a bit to help whey drain off.
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Tie twine to a wooden spoon or dowel, hang egg-cheese curds over a pot or container to collect any remaining whey and continue draining for 30 minutes.
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When egg-cheese ball has cooled and is not dripping any more whey, place it in the refrigerator overnight still suspended over a pan so it will retain its round shape.
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When ready to serve, remove cheesecloth.
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Serve on sandwiches and sausages or on its own sprinkled with a little salt.
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Tips
- This cheese is very perishable and should be consumed within a day or two.
- Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
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45 | Calories |
3g | Fat |
2g | Carbs |
3g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 24 to 32 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 45 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 3g | 4% |
Saturated Fat 1g | 6% |
Cholesterol 73mg | 24% |
Sodium 106mg | 5% |
Total Carbohydrate 2g | 1% |
Dietary Fiber 0g | 0% |
Total Sugars 2g | |
Protein 3g | |
Vitamin C 0mg | 0% |
Calcium 45mg | 3% |
Iron 0mg | 2% |
Potassium 66mg | 1% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
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