Sürk is a cheese from Hatay made by kneading curds with thyme, cumin, and Turkish red pepper flakes, shaping them into cones, and air-drying them. The spices are more than decoration: the oils in the thyme and cumin coat the surface, forming a crust as the cheese dries. The drier it gets, the sharper its flavor becomes; serve it fresh as a spread or grate it when dry.
Place the curds in cheesecloth and squeeze out the remaining whey by hand. Curds that are not fully drained will not dry properly and may develop mold inside. Mash them with a fork in a large bowl until no lumps remain.
Mix the thyme, cumin, Turkish red pepper flakes, black pepper, allspice, and salt in a separate bowl. Set aside one-third of the mixture for the outside; mixing it all into the cheese will prevent a crust from forming.
Add two-thirds of the spice mixture and half the olive oil to the curds and knead by hand for 6 minutes. It is ready when a handful holds together as one piece when squeezed. If it crumbles, add 10 ml more olive oil. Taste a small piece and adjust the seasoning; the flavor will intensify as it dries.
Take egg-sized portions of the mixture and squeeze them in your palm to shape them into cones with flat bottoms. Spread the reserved spice mixture on a flat plate and roll each cone in it to coat all sides. Rub the remaining olive oil over the surface with your hands. Space the cones on a wire rack and cover them with cheesecloth.
Dry the cones under cheesecloth in a cool, shaded place with good airflow for 5 to 10 days; this time is not included in the recipe timing. Do not dry them in direct sunlight, or the oil will melt and the surface will crack.
Pul biber yerine isot kullandım, rengi koyulaştı.
İsot Hatay'da da kullanılıyor, yanlış değil. Yalnız isot daha nemli olduğu için hamuru biraz daha sıkı yoğurun.
Kuru çökelek bulamayan taze çökeleği tülbentte bir gün bekletsin, ben öyle yaptım.
Zeytinyağıyla kaplayıp kavanozda sakladım, iki aydır bozulmadı. Kavanozu ağzına kadar yağla doldurun, yüzeye çıkan koniler orada kuruyup küfleniyor.
Baharatı Hatay'daki teyzemin dediği gibi kekik ağırlıklı tuttum, kimyonu yarıya indirdim.
Çökeleği süzmeden yoğurdum, koni şekli hiç tutmadı. Bir gece tülbentte asmak gerekiyormuş. Baharatı önce ayrı bir kâsede karıştırıp sonra çökeleğe eklemek gerekiyor, tek tek atınca kimyon bir yerde kekik başka yerde topaklandı.
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