Skyr with Wild Berries
A thick, tangy fresh cheese made by curdling milk then draining it, crowned with crushed wild berries and a drizzle of honey. Fresh, dense, living.
A thick, tangy fresh cheese made by curdling milk then draining it, crowned with crushed wild berries and a drizzle of honey. Fresh, dense, living.
Milk does not keep, my child — but the ferment, it does not die. I put a spoonful of yesterday's in the warmed milk, and by morning it has set, thick and sour as it should be. Hang it in a cloth so the water runs off, and you will have enough to last when the cows give no more. Crush the blue berries of summer on top, a little honey if you have it — it is both sweet and sure, like life itself.
- •Cow's or sheep's milk — a bucket (base)
- •A little skyr from the previous batch — a spoonful (ferment)
- •Rennet (calf stomach) — a drop (coagulant)
- •Wild berries (bilberries, lingonberries) — a handful (topping)
- •Honey — a drizzle (sweetness)
Skyr with Wild Berries
A thick, tangy fresh cheese made by curdling milk then draining it, crowned with crushed wild berries and a drizzle of honey. Fresh, dense, living.
Why this dish? Embla, whose name may evoke the elm or climbing vine, is associated with berries and fruits of the shore and forest. Skyr, a cultured fresh cheese that keeps all winter, topped with gathered berries, embodies the nurturing food of the first mother of humanity.
Milk does not keep, my child — but the ferment, it does not die. I put a spoonful of yesterday's in the warmed milk, and by morning it has set, thick and sour as it should be. Hang it in a cloth so the water runs off, and you will have enough to last when the cows give no more. Crush the blue berries of summer on top, a little honey if you have it — it is both sweet and sure, like life itself.
Ingredients (period version)
- Cow's or sheep's milk — a bucket (base)
- A little skyr from the previous batch — a spoonful (ferment)
- Rennet (calf stomach) — a drop (coagulant)
- Wild berries (bilberries, lingonberries) — a handful (topping)
- Honey — a drizzle (sweetness)
Ingredients
- Whole milk — 2 L (base)
- Skyr or plain live yogurt — 2 tbsp (ferment)
- Liquid rennet — 2 drops (optional, for extra firmness) (coagulant)
- Bilberries and lingonberries — 150 g (topping)
- Honey — 2 tbsp (sweetness)
Method
- Heat the milk to about 85 °C then let cool to 38-40 °C (warm to the finger).
- Dilute the skyr/yogurt in a little warm milk, stir it in, add rennet if using.
- Cover and leave at room temperature (or in a warm turned-off oven) for 8-12 hours, until set.
- Pour into a cheesecloth and let drain in the cool for several hours until the desired thick texture.
- Lightly crush the berries, spread over the skyr, drizzle with honey. Keep a spoonful of skyr to inoculate the next batch.
How it was made : Skyr is attested in Scandinavia and Iceland since the Viking Age: an acid fresh cheese obtained by lactic fermentation, sometimes aided with a little rennet, then drained. It was an essential storage food for winter, and the soured whey (sýra) left over was used to preserve other foods. Wild berries, gathered in abundance in summer, complemented a diet low in sugar.
The contemporary twist : Layer in a glass as a 'skyr bowl' with crushed berries and a few toasted barley flakes for crunch.
Embla · Charactorium
