This tastes just like cheese to me. If it doesn’t taste quite like cheese to you, you’ll still think it tastes good. This is great to make if you have people in your flock who are vegan or lactose intolerant. Seems there are people at every gathering with some type of dietary issue these days. Ah, for the good old days when everyone ate everything!
1/4 c plus 2 Tbsp finely ground almond flour (skinless)
OR 3/4 c raw cashews (soak for 8-24 hours or boil for 20 minutes)…I use the almond flour
1 c water
1/4 c cook, peeled yellow or russet potato, optional (I didn’t use it, just one more thing to do)
1/4 c melted, refined coconut oil or light olive oil (I used olive oil, more flavor)
2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp tapioca powder (If you don’t have tapioca powder, just grind some tapioca in a spice grinder)
2 Tbsp plain olive brine (from Spanish olives or pimentos) (Somebody gave us a jar of homemade olives for Xmas!)
2 tsp agar powder
1 tsp tahini paste or 1/4 clove garlic (I used the garlic)
1 tsp black truffle salt or flake salt, or to taste (I used black truffle salt)
1 tsp Dijon mustard or 1/2 tsp mustard powder (I used the Dijon)
1/2 tsp nutritional yeast or to taste (I think next time I’ll use 1 tsp and cut back on the salt until I taste it, as nutritional yeast is salty)
1/8 tsp citric acid
Big pinch of white pepper
Run everything through a blender until it’s really smooth. Give it a taste to see if it needs more of anything. It will taste a little starchy since it hasn’t been cooked.
Cook it on medium low, stirring constantly. Heating slowly and stirring constantly will ensure the oil remains incorporated and prevents burning. I cooked it in a tiny non-stick pot so I didn’t have a sticking problem. Cook until it thickens, then cook an additional 5 minutes, which is necessary so it doesn’t taste starchy and the agar activates. Lower the heat if it’s spurting or browning, raise the heat if it isn’t bubbling at the very bottom of the pan when you pause stirring.
When done it should look like melted cheese. Fold it over on itself as you stir. It should look shiny, coat a spoon thickly, and drip off in a slow ribbon. You might see sticky, stretchy strings. Turn off the heat when you see all of these signs. When it cools a little, you can taste it and still add anything you want, like herbs, pepper, spices, etc. While it’s warm, pour it into a mold. I used a 6” springform pan I have, and the cheese was about 1” thick or maybe less. It will firm up in the fridge in about 30 minutes, or in the freezer in 10-15 minutes. If you serve it room temp, it will be smooth and creamy. When chilled it will be soft and hold it’s shape, but will still be firm enough to slice.