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Manchego Curado con Membrillo
Created by
Manchego Curado belongs to La Mancha: firm sheep cheese from Manchega ewes, aged until nutty and salty, then served plainly with membrillo to cut through the richness.
Appetizers & Snacks
Spanish
Dinner Party
Special Occasion
Picnic
15 min
Active Time
0 min cook•45 min total
Yield6 servings
Manchego Curado is La Mancha's cheese, made from Manchega ewe's milk and aged until it turns firm, ivory, salty, and nutty. It isn't just any hard sheep cheese. The esparto-grass pattern on the rind, now usually made by the mould, and the sweet, oily sheep's milk are what mark it as Manchego.
The method that decides the dish is not cooking. It is temperature and cutting. Serve it too cold and it tastes tight and waxy. Let it sit until the chill leaves it, then cut wedges thin enough to bend a little at the tip but thick enough to carry their salt. Membrillo, quince paste, belongs beside it because its clean sweetness cuts the fat. That is the whole sense of the plate.
If you are far from La Mancha, look first for Manchego DOP, curado or viejo, made with Manchega sheep's milk. If you cannot get it, a firm aged sheep cheese is the honest substitute, but it will not have the same lactic sweetness or dry almond finish. No hace falta haber pisado Espana. Buy well, cut it properly, and leave it alone. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.
Manchego belongs to Castilla-La Mancha, the dry plateau where Manchega sheep have long turned sparse pasture into rich milk. The cheese is pressed into wheels and aged in stages, from semicurado to curado and viejo, with the familiar zigzag rind recalling the old esparto grass moulds. Membrillo, the firm quince paste served with it, comes from the same preserving habit of the Spanish larder: fruit cooked down with sugar until it could last.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
Manchego Curado DOP
Quantity
300g
brought to room temperature
membrillo (quince paste)
Quantity
120g
cut into small rectangles
Marcona almonds or roasted unsalted almonds
Quantity
90g
rustic bread
Quantity
150g
sliced
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
2 tablespoons
flaky sea salt (optional)
Quantity
a pinch
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Manchego Curado DOPbrought to room temperature | 300g |
| membrillo (quince paste)cut into small rectangles | 120g |
| Marcona almonds or roasted unsalted almonds | 90g |
| rustic breadsliced | 150g |
| extra virgin olive oil | 2 tablespoons |
| flaky sea salt (optional) | a pinch |
Equipment Needed
- •Sharp cheese knife
- •Small board
- •Serving plate or olive-wood board
Instructions
- 1
Temper the cheese
Take the Manchego out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving. Leave it covered loosely, not sealed tight, so the chill lifts without drying the surface. This matters more than fussing with the plate: cold cheese hides its milk, salt, and nuttiness.
- 2
Trim and cut
Trim away only the inedible outer rind, keeping the wedge shape. Cut the cheese into slim triangles, about 5mm thick at the outer edge. Too thick and the salt lands heavy; too thin and the cheese dries before anyone reaches for it.
- 3
Cut the membrillo
Cut the membrillo into small rectangles, about half the size of the cheese pieces. It should sit beside the cheese, not bury it. The quince gives sweetness and a little tartness, enough to clean the palate after the fat of the sheep's milk.
- 4
Arrange the plate
Lay the Manchego in a loose fan on a plain plate or wooden board, with the membrillo tucked alongside and the almonds in a small pile. Add sliced bread and a little olive oil for dipping. If the almonds are unsalted, finish them with the smallest pinch of flaky salt. Serve now, while the cheese is no longer cold but still firm.
Chef Tips
- •Look for Manchego DOP and the words leche de oveja Manchega, milk from Manchega sheep. Curado is usually aged long enough to be firm and nutty without turning too sharp.
- •Do not serve it straight from the refrigerator. Aged sheep cheese needs time at room temperature or it tastes flat and waxy. Thirty minutes is enough for a small wedge.
- •If Manchego is out of reach, use a firm aged sheep cheese. It will serve the plate honestly, but expect less of Manchego's dry almond finish and that particular sweetness from La Mancha milk.
Advance Preparation
- •Cut the membrillo up to 1 day ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator.
- •Slice the bread a few hours ahead, but cut the cheese close to serving so the edges do not dry.
- •Set the cheese out 30 minutes before serving; longer in a hot room will bring oil to the surface too quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 115g)
Calories
410 calories
Total Fat
25 g
Saturated Fat
12 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
12 g
Cholesterol
45 mg
Sodium
560 mg
Total Carbohydrates
34 g
Dietary Fiber
3 g
Sugars
11 g
Protein
16 g
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