Melted, stringy cheese doused in a honey, vinegar and oregano dressing with just a hint of chilli: devour with bread and make the neighbours jealous
Caciocavallo is a formaggio a pasta filata, or stretched-curd cheese, and part of the family that includes mozzarella, scamorza, provolone and halloumi. To make it, cow’s milk curds are kneaded and stretched by hand in hot water until they look like a fabulously long scarf of white putty. The process at this point, by the way, is almost exactly the same as that of mozzarella, for which the lengths are squeezed into balloon-like balls and mozzate (cut). However, for caciocavallo, the stretched lengths are rolled into balls, then soaked in brine before being bound with rope in pairs, neck to neck, and hung to mature a cavallo, or straddled over a beam or pole. Some say this position provides the name, but there are several other legends.
Hanging also exaggerates the shape, which is like a pear or teardrop. Or a Japanese okiagari-koboshi, a roly-poly toy that, regardless of how hard you try, always returns to an upright position when it’s knocked over – a symbol of perseverance and resilience, which seem particularly useful qualities these days. When it is young (one to three months), caciocavallo is pale, tender, bounces like a child’s cheek if you squeeze it, and has a mild and milky flavour. As it ages, it firms up and the flavour gets deeper, nuttier and almost spicy. All ages can be eaten just so, grated or cubed for cooking, and are suitable for this week’s recipe, cacio all’argentiera (cheese silversmith-style), as are the rest of the family (mozzarella, scamorza, provolone, halloumi …). There is a legend – of course – that the dish was invented in via dell’Argenteria in Palermo by the wife of a silversmith who couldn’t afford rabbit, so created a dish with an equally enviable smell. The smell is pretty extraordinary, as oregano – which is at its very best here, warm and wild – meets the sweetness of honey, acidity of vinegar and just a bit of chilli, then all of them settle into the folds of melted cheese.
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