Minci — Rize-Style Buttered Fresh Cheese Meze

Use minci made from pasteurized milk; fresh cheese curdled from raw milk may melt in the skillet without reaching a safe internal temperature. Put the minci in a wide bowl and crumble it with your fingertips; large clumps melt slowly and stay cold in the center. If the cheese is wet, leave it in a strainer for a few minutes to drain. If it has just come from the refrigerator, let it sit on the counter; cold cheese lowers the butter’s temperature.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet over low heat. It will foam first; once the foam subsides and the surface clears, use it before the color changes. If the butter starts to brown, set the skillet on a wet cloth to lower its temperature.

Add the crumbled cheese to the butter and stir continuously in one direction with a wooden spoon. The cheese will break apart, then come together and begin to stretch from the back of the spoon. The meze is ready when it pulls into a thread as you lift the spoon; if you cook it beyond this point, the fat will separate and the cheese will harden.

Turn off the heat before mixing in the salt and black pepper; salt added too early draws liquid from the cheese. Take the minci to the table in its skillet or transfer it to a preheated serving dish. Serve with cornbread. Cooled minci will not regain the same texture when reheated.