Mascarpone - a cheese that is most often found in tiramisu, but many people recommend replacing it with skimmed milk curd due to its high fat content.
Mascarpone it is Italian cheese (the environment from which it originates is Lombardy), made from milk, enriched with cream or from the cream that is formed as a by-product in the production of Parmesan cheese. According to some, it is not cheese at all, but enriched cream. Mascarpone it is very rich, creamy and nicely spreadable. Despite the fact that it is the most common association with mascarpone for sure tiramisu, it is also used in the preparation of salty dishes.
Mascarpone it is available in all well-stocked stores, usually in smaller packages (250 g), as it has an extremely short shelf life, usually only a few days.
Masrcarpone can also be prepared at home!
Mascarpone it can also be prepared at home, for which we need raw cream and a spoonful of vinegar or lemon juice. We also need densely woven fabric, a colander, a thermometer and a steamer. We start the preparation by slowly heating the cream in a cooking vessel. When the cream reaches a temperature of 88 degrees Celsius, we add a spoonful of vinegar or lemon juice and keep stirring. Due to the reaction to the acid, small lumps will begin to form in the cream.
When this happens, remove the pan from the heat and leave for 10 minutes. Then pour the boiled cream through a strainer and cloth; the excess liquid will drain off and the cloth will hold the lumps. Let the mixture slowly drain completely and cool to room temperature. Then cover the colander, put it in a bowl and put it in the fridge for 24 hours.
Not only in tiramisu!
Mascarpone it can also be used to prepare various ice creams, to thicken puddings and various creams, but it can also be used as an independent dessert, served with some fresh fruit and some light syrup. The type of recipes for desserts that we prepare from mascarpone is infinite. Due to its neutral taste, almost anything can be added to it: it can be offered with classic additives such as coffee, cocoa, chocolate, ground nuts or dried fruit, or with more unusual additions, such as balsamic vinegar caramel. We will often meet it in combination with dry or fresh figs, or in the company of ginger.
Mascarpone can sometimes be used instead of butter or parmesan to enrich the flavor of risottos. In Italy, it is popular as a spread to which anchovies, mustard and spices are added. It can be used instead of cream for cooking (of course in a smaller amount), when preparing risotto with mushrooms or some other risotto (vegetable, with dried tomatoes...), if you mix fresh herbs with it, you can use it to prepare various puff pastry pockets, use it as a filling for chicken... Mascarpone it can be used as a filling for ravioli or simply added to tomato sauces. It goes perfectly with the taste of asparagus and broccoli (in risotto, pasta, dough snacks...) and is indispensable when preparing a dish with smoked salmon.
Finally, the English interpretation of the recipe for Tiramisu in the video of the famous J. Oliver, which is worth imitating.
Mascarpone and some desserts:
