Steamed Rice Cheese
Meltable, sliceable, and deeply savory cheese made from... rice? It sounds completely crazy, but this block cheese matures beautifully in the fridge and is perfect for melting on pizzas or slicing into sandwiches.
INGREDIENTS
110 grams of white rice flour — you must get this at an Asian grocery store. Rice flour for baby porridge does NOT work, and neither does glutinous rice flour! 180 ml of water — plus extra water for your steamer. 75 grams of melted neutral-tasting coconut oil. 1 ½ tsp of salt. 1 ½ tsp of mild French mustard. 2 tsp of white vinegar. 1 tsp of lemon juice. 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast. 1 tbsp of (smoked) white miso — for that deep, mature cheese flavor. ½ pinch of turmeric — optional, just to give it a classic yellow cheese look.
THE PREP
Bring a layer of water to a boil in your steamer basket or turn on your electric steamer. If you don't own a steamer, get creative: place an inverted bowl at the bottom of a regular pan and set your cheese mold on top so that it sits safely above the boiling water.
Put all of your ingredients into your blender or mixing bowl with an immersion blender. Blend until you have a smooth, milky mixture with absolutely no lumps or visible fat droplets.
Pour the cheese mixture into your mold (a large soup bowl works perfectly). Make sure the mold is tall enough because this liquid will bubble and rise by a centimeter or two while steaming.
Bring the steamer water to a vigorous boil and steam your cheese for 45 minutes.
Once cooked, the cheese will look quite soft and a bit wobbly—don't panic! It will firm up beautifully on its own as it cools. If water from the steamer lid dripped on top, carefully pour it off.
Place the cheese in the refrigerator for at least one night to firm up, then carefully slide it out of the mold. Insider tip: it tastes even better if you let it mature in the fridge for a day or two before eating. It will keep for at least two weeks!