Dairy
Caciocavallo
A stretched-curd cow's-milk cheese shaped like a gourd and hung in pairs by a string round its neck to age. Young it is mild and melting; aged it is sharp and firm.
Origin
Southern Italy, especially Sicily, Calabria and Campania.
Flavour
Milky and buttery when young, sharp, salty and nutty with age.
How to use it
Dice young caciocavallo to melt inside arancine, or grate an aged one over pasta in place of pecorino.
Storage
Wrap in paper and refrigerate. The rind protects a whole cheese for weeks.
Recipes using it
Arancine al ragù
Arancine
Sicily's fried rice balls: saffron rice wrapped round a ragù, peas and caciocavallo, breaded and fried until gold.
A bit of work
Sfincione palermitano
Palermo's thick, spongy street pizza: soft dough under a sauce of slow-cooked onions, tomato and anchovies, with caciocavallo, toasted breadcrumbs and oregano.
Medium
