Liptauer is traditional Austro-Hungarian cheese spread, but Romanians, Czecks and Scandinavians also claim it as their own. It's typicaly served as a snack on rye bread, or sometimes as a filling for different types of appetizers. I like it thickly spread on rye bread with some cornichons and thinly sliced red onions. Oh, and it's great with beer!
My version is made with a combination of cream cheese and cottage cheese. Use the best cottage cheese you can get your hands on. It should be rich and creamy, nothing like some of the clumpy, loaded with additives commercial brands out there. Try your local Farmer's market. Some recipes use capers and anchovy paste and a lot of paprika. I kept it fairly simple. You adjust it to your taste. That way we can all avoid heated arguments or virtual hair pulling, trying to figure out what the stuff should be like or where it comes from. The important thing is where's it's going: your hungry belly!
Ingredients:
250 g cream cheese
250 g good quality pressed cottage cheese
2 small cornichons, finely diced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
1 tsp caraway seeds (a must)
1/2 tsp Hungarian paprika
1 tsp grainy mustard
pinch of salt
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Serve at room temperature with rye bread or crackers, cornichons and thinly sliced red onions.
Or for a fresh summer lunch try stuffing some sweet cherry tomatoes with the cheese spread and toss them with fresh heirloom salad leaves, radishes, chopped boiled eggs and some herb vinaigrette.
