Pickled Hermelín cheese /// four ways to NH paradise

There’s a czech evergreen argument between the lovers of pickled Hermelín cheese (abbr. as NH - Nakládáný Hermelín) and Niva chees balls, overwhelming time, social status and form of communication. (Hermelín is a Brie- or Camembert-like cheese and Niva is a typical czech blue cheese.) I am not going to try to absolve the conflict, but I can give you a closer look at one of this savouries.

NH pickled cheese is usualy sliced in halves and marinated in oil and spices, including thyme, juniper, bay leaf, garlic and onion. A pub, which doesn’t provide pickled cheese is considered inferior and there is a vast community of NH-eaters, who cannot imagine their further existence without constant supply.

Personally, I am not that excited about this phenomenon, despite my evolving gourmandise. However, my vanity (again) forced me to make another tick in the list of all the admired skills - “can produce exquisite NH” and One of my i-need-NH-or-i-die friends was about having a birthday, so I decided to manufacture a present for him.

After absorbing necessary knowledge (since I haven’t tried this before), the only self-satysfying solution came up: to make 4 different tastes of it. Each one representing (and named after) certain cuisine. Together they were mant to be the four seasons in heaven, four gateways to paradise. Here come the recipes….

Douceur

literally a french delight
inside the cheese: hollowed out and filled with Lučina (gervais-like cheese) and garlic
oil marinade: thyme, rosemary, juniper, bay leaf, provance spices, garlic cloves, onion

Maboroshi

is supposed to present a japanese dream
inside the cheese: wasabi, wakame
oil marinade: kombu, wakame, shiitake, squid, three kinds of soy sauce, sesame oil, wei-su

Pyaar

representing my love and respect to indian cuisine
inside the cheese: sliced garlic, red curry paste
oil marinade: turmeric, cardamom, black mustard seed, coriander, cinnamon, garam masala, cumin, cayenne, sliced ginger, onion

Tósigo

meaning venom in spanish, it should be an i-can-eat-spicy hotshot killer
inside the cheese: Black Mamba sauce, sliced garlic
oil marinade: paprika, pepper, chopped Habanero peppers, Jalapeno peppers, onion, fiery mix (Z’s Nothing Beyond, Black Mamba and 100% PAIN sauces)

You can have a closer look at the preparation.

I gave the cheese five days to ripe and the seasoning to completely loose in the oil, then I delivered the present and the eager gustative orgies could commence. I have to admit I was really surprised how good the cheese actually was, but crucial was the opinion of my NH-expert friend.
He was delighted.
Therefore was I, especially with maboroshi! The mushrooms gave the cheese this extraordinary earthnut epithet. Beer and fresh bread required.

One inconsiderable clap for my please.

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