2 Christmas desserts of Torta del Casar with Michelin stars

Creamy and with a very particular flavor, the Casar Cake It is a cheese that becomes the protagonist of appetizers, main dishes and desserts. And on this occasion, there are two sweet preparations that are presented to us by the Protected Designation of Origin of this product, with the seal of Michelin-starred chefs.

He director of the DOP, Javier Muñoz, highlights that Torta del Casar is “a very versatile product that can be eaten in many ways. This “Cheese can be consumed simply by spreading it on bread, but also including it in very varied recipes, which can range from sauces for meat, risottos or desserts. “It is very versatile and can provide the differentiating touch that turns a dish into a great dish,” who, furthermore, adds that “For the DOP, it is an honor to have the talent of top-level chefs to create recipes with Torta del Casar for this Christmas, since they are also cooks who know our product very well because they have been working on it for many years.”

Read more: Torta del Casar: ‘tips’ for its consumption (and things you should never do)

Torta del Casar DOP cheeses are made only in cheese factories registered in the Regulatory Council records, which works every day to guarantee origin and quality, controlling the purity of the production process for the full safety and confidence of consumers. The Protected Designation of Origin, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, protects this cheese with ancient tradition and unique and differentiating qualities. Therefore, when you want to enjoy an authentic DOP Torta del Casar cheese, you must look for its exclusive control label on which the logo of the Regulatory Council is combined with that of the European Union, the only guarantee that the choice made and the recognition international.

Read more: The Asturian restaurant Casa Marcial, new ‘three Michelin stars’

Its intense flavor and creamy texture offers a delicious experience full of contrast in the kitchen, and especially in desserts like the ones we propose. Toño Pérezfrom the Cáceres restaurant Atriowith 3 Michelin stars, and Alejandro Hérnandez from Versatil -located in Zarza de Granadilla (Cáceres), with a Michelin star. Dare with them and leave your guests with their mouths open this Christmas!

Pairing of Torta del Casar, truffled quince and vanilla oil, by Toño Pérez

Ingredients for 4 people:

For the ice cream:

• 200 gr of Torta del Casar
• 30 cl of milk
• 30 cl of cream
• 200 g fresh cheese
• 200 g of sugar
• 50 g of glucose

For the truffled quince puree:

1. 250 gr of quince
2. 1 truffle of 60-80 gr
3. 25 cl of mineral water
4. 250 gr of sugar

For the vanilla oil:

• 4 vanilla beans
• 25 cl of olive oil
• Others:
• 1 Casar Cake
• 200 g of toasted nuts
• Salad leaves (arugula, mini red chard, dandelion…)
• Aromatic to taste
• Sal Maldon

© Atrium

Preparation method:

The ice cream:

1. Put the milk in a saucepan to heat with the glucose and work until it is perfectly diluted.
2. Add the sugar and the rest of the ingredients, making sure that the Torta del Casar does not have any crust, since only the cream is used.
3. Blend with the blender until you obtain a fine and homogeneous paste. Finally, put it in the ice cream maker.

Truffled quince puree:

1. Prepare a syrup with the water and sugar until it forms a ball.
2. Add the quince meat and fresh truffle and blend until you obtain a fine and homogeneous puree.

Vanilla oil:

1. For this oil flavored with vanilla, use a Sierra de Gata-Hurdes oil with manzanilla olives, which are softer and have aromas of nuts and bananas.
2. Temper the oil and add the pods, opened in half to extract the seeds. Let it rest for 24 hours.

Presentation:

1. Arrange a line of quince in the center of the plate.
2. On one side, on a bed of toasted nuts, put a quenelle of Torta del Casar ice cream.
3. On the opposite side, place a spoonful of very creamy natural Torta del Casar, which should be warm.
4. Finish the whole with the salad leaves and aromatics arranged in a harmonious way and seasoned with vanilla oil and a few flakes of Maldon salt.

Torta del Casar mousse with honey gelatin, by Alejandro Hernández

Ingredients for 4 people:

For the Torta del Casar mousse:

• 1/2 kg of Torta del Casar
• 1 l of cream
• 50 g of sugar
  

For the honey jelly:

• 200 gr of honey
• 5 g of mineral water
• 3 gelatin sheets

© Versatile

Preparation method:

For the Torta del Casar mousse:

This preparation must be done at least 12 hours in advance:

1. Clean a Torta del Casar from its crust, weigh 500g and reserve in a container.
2. Next, heat the cream together with the sugar in a saucepan, when it comes to a boil, add the Torta del Casar off the heat until it melts, pass everything through a fine sieve and set aside in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
3. After this time, with the help of an electric mixer, the mixture is whipped to incorporate air into the preparation and thus achieve the texture of a mousse. It will take approximately 7 minutes at medium speed.
4. Once the preparation is aerated, the mixture is added to a pastry bag to be able to pour it where we want to use the mixture.

For the honey jelly:

1. Soak the gelatin leaves in a container with cold water, let them hydrate for 15 minutes.
2. Add the water and honey to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once it has boiled for 1 minute, remove from the heat; Strain into another container and add the previously hydrated gelatin sheets.
3. Stir the mixture and reserve in a container according to the amount in the refrigerator.

Presentation:

1. Take a nice glass and fill 2/3 of the glass with the mousse of Torta de Casar and set aside.
2. With gelatin you can make different cuts and presentations (dice, discs, etc.). Once the gelatin is cut as you like, it is placed on top of the mousse, and the appetizer or pre-dessert is ready.
3. This preparation is used for many savory applications such as: filling tartlets and finishing with a little ham or making bread toast and finishing with some walnuts.