Published on April 14, 2022
Hrudka: Egg Cheese Recipe
This recipe for egg cheese originated from eastern Europe and is typically served at Easter time. It 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. Hrudka can be made savory with salt and pepper or sweetened with sugar. It's typically served with other traditional foods like horseradish, ham, sausages, and bread. For the sweet tooth: you can also top it with maple syrup or adding a teaspoon of cinnamon to the mixture.
- Time to prepare: 40 mins
- Time to Cook: 30 mins
- Time in refrigerator: 12 hours
- Servings:+/- 25 servings
Ingredients
- 12 eggs (a dozen)
- 1 quart whole milk
- 2 Tablespoons of sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Line a strainer with cheesecloth and set aside.
- Combine the ingredients in a heat-proof bowl or the top of a double boiler and whisk until combined.
- Place the bowl over a pot of water or assemble the double boiler and, over medium heat, bring the water to a simmer. Cook, stirring very frequently, until the mixture begins to thicken and then the bids separate from the whey. This will take about 20-30 minutes before you start to see the curds begin to form, and it will look like scrambled eggs when it is done.
- Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth to drain off the liquid (the whey) and allow to drain for several minutes. Then gather the cheesecloth, forming the cheese into a ball and squeeze out as much liquid as possible, allowing to cool until you can handle it, if necessary.
- Keeping the cheesecloth wrapped tightly around the cheese, drain for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the oven to 175°C / 350°F and place the cheese in an oven save dish. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden.
- Cool completely in the refrigerator before slicing.
Tip: This cheese is very perishable and should be consumed within a day or two, store it tightly covered in the refrigerator
Pictures and inspiration for the recipe derived from the spruce Eats
