Photo by Matthew Benson
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t like beer. I really do. Especially dark beer. I just love many fermented beverages so my ideal pub would also have ginger beer, cider, and kombucha on tap. With this cheese, we apply all of our newfound knowledge about savory flavor and rich textures, and we skip cooking altogether. The result is a rich, satisfying dip and spread.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw Brazil nuts (soaked for 8 to 12 hours or simmered for 20 minutes and drained) or the Substitution of your choice
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast or the Substitution of your choice
- 1 packed tablespoon chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons dark miso paste (preferably chickpea-based)
- 2 teaspoons sriracha (optional)
- 2 teaspoons dry onion flakes or 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- Big pinch of turmeric
- 3 tablespoons ginger beer or ginger ale, flat is fine
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup melted refined coconut oil (plus 1 additional tablespoon if needed for blending)
Equipment
- Strong blender or food processor
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Silicone scraper (optional but useful)
- Serving container, or storage container with lid
Substitutions
Brazil nuts (choose one):
- 1/2 cup blanched almond flour, no skins (not almond meal)
- 1 cup raw walnuts (soaked for 8 to 12 hours or boiled for 20 minutes, drained)
- 1 cup blanched almond slivers (soaked for 8 to 12 hours or boiled for 20 minutes, drained)
- 1 cup raw or roasted cashews (soaked for 8 to 12 hours or boiled for 20 minutes, drained)
- 1 cup raw or roasted macadamia nuts (soaked for 8 to 12 hours or boiled for 20 minutes, drained)
- 1 cup raw sunflower seeds (soaked for 8 to 12 hours or boiled for 20 minutes, drained)
- Not as dense and rich, but still very tasty:
- 1 cup cooked, drained white beans (cannellini, navy, or Great Northern)
- 1 cup soft-cooked, squeezed-dry cauliflower
for the Nutritional Yeast (choose one):
- 1 tablespoon tahini paste
- 1 tablespoon mild miso paste (preferably chickpea-based)
- 1 tablespoon additional nuts or seeds to balance moisture
- Combine Brazil nuts, yeast, tomatoes, miso paste, sriracha (if using), onion flakes, mustard, salt, and turmeric in a strong blender or food processor.
- Press pulse a few times and then grind for a minute or two until all of the ingredients look coarse but uniform. (If you have a smaller processor, it may take longer. Stop and scrape down the side of the container as needed.)
- Add the ginger beer, vinegar, and oil to the mixture. Blend the ingredients on low and gradually increase to top speed until the mix looks like the texture of hummus. Depending on your machine, this could take 2 minutes to 6 minutes. (Stop every minute or so to scrape down the side of the container as needed.)
- Transfer the pub cheese to a serving or storage container. It’s ready to eat now, but refrigerate it, uncovered, for about 20 minutes to allow the oil to transform the texture and for the flavors to really meld. (Note: Don’t put this one in the freezer. If it firms up too much, it will be difficult to eat.)
- Once the cheese is firm, enjoy its sharp, aged Cheddar flavor and the fermented beverage accent, but most of all, enjoy its decadent texture. Store extra pub cheese in a covered container in the refrigerator. Enjoy within 1 week.
Variations
Cider Pub Cheese
- Omit the ginger beer and sriracha.
- In step 3, add to the blender or food processor:
- 3 tablespoons hard apple cider
Kombucha Pub Cheese
- Omit the ginger beer, sriracha, and apple cider vinegar.
- In step 3, add to the blender or food processor:
- 3 tablespoons kombucha (unflavored, ginger, or lemon)
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Tip! Want to dress up your Pub Cheese for a party? Roll it into a cheese ball and add
a coating.
More from One-Hour Dairy-Free Cheese:
Photo Courtesy of Workman Publishing
Excerpted from One-Hour Dairy-Free Cheese: Make Mozzarella, Cheddar, Feta, and Brie-Style Cheeses — Using Nuts, Seeds, and Vegetables by Claudia Lucero (Workman Publishing). Copyright © 2019. Photographs by Matthew Benson.