Stracchino (crescenza)

Stracchino (crescenza)

What it is

The name comes from the Lombard stracco, tired: the cheese was made from the milk of cows tired by the autumn descent from the Alpine pastures, and had to be eaten before it turned. It is now made year-round on the plain, but the habit stuck — its whole career lasts days, not months, and a stracchino more than a fortnight old is a failure rather than an aged cheese.

In the kitchen

Fold it into risotto off the heat: 40 g a head replaces both the butter and the parmesan. It slackens instead of splitting, but past a simmer the proteins tighten and it turns grainy, so it never meets a boiling pan.

Goes with

Olive oil Tomato Basil Prosciutto di Parma Rocket Black pepper Walnut

Same species

Abura-kasu Amourettes (spinal marrow) Spider steak Bastourma Flank steak Beef

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