Ostkaka

Instructions

1. Whisk 1 tbsp of plain flour into 400 ml of whole milk in a small saucepan until completely smooth, with no lumps clinging to the base. Set over low heat and warm slowly, stirring, to 37C, finger-warm, no hotter, or the rennet will be killed and the milk will never set.
2. Take the pan off the heat, stir in 0.25 tsp of liquid rennet with three or four strokes only, then stop stirring at once. Cover and leave in a warm, draught-free place for 40 minutes, undisturbed, until the milk has set to a soft junket that pulls cleanly from the side of the pan when you tilt it.
3. Cut the set curd into roughly 2 cm cubes with a knife, leave 5 minutes for the whey to seep out, then ladle it into a sieve lined with muslin set over a bowl. Drain 15 minutes, stirring gently once or twice; you want a moist, cottage-cheese-like curd, not a dry one. Discard the whey or keep it for baking.