Can you and how do you melt quark cheese into bechamel?
I would like to try to make quark cheese sauce for pasta, but I'm not confident I can make the cheese melt properly as I've never done it before. What I would like to use specifically is the Polish version, twaróg, ~8% fat. Is it doable? What proportions should I use? How should I add the cheese in order for it to melt properly into the bechamel?
Best Answer
Quark doesn't melt at all. What you can do is to stir it into the sauce.
From there on, it depends on the version you have available. I haven't seen the Polish one. If it is firm and crumbly like some of the quarks I've had, it will remain that way in the sauce, and you will have a grainy texture. The German type is similar to yogurt in texture, and it will blend with a sauce perfectly (but not melt). Polish cuisine borrows from both Russian (which has firm quark) and German (which has the aforementioned yogurty quark) so I can't predict what will happen with what you have.
Note that having a somewhat crumbly texture in a sauce is not necessarily a bad thing. Personally, I like a lot a sauce/dip made from 50% mayonnaise and 50% firm quark, stirred together and served with black olives. It depends purely on your taste. My advice is to make the sauce and see if you like eating it.
Pictures about "Can you and how do you melt quark cheese into bechamel?"
What happens when you heat quark?
The majority of the dry mass in quark is protein, and it is physically impossible for protein to melt. It gets rubbery when heated.Can you heat up quark to make a sauce?
Cuisines all over Europe feature quark as an ingredient for appetisers, salads, main dishes, side dishes and desserts, and it's great as a substitute for full-fat sour cream in cheesecakes, dips and sauces. One important thing to remember when cooking with quark is to heat it gently.How do you melt cheese without a double boiler?
To melt the cream cheese quickly, put the milk and cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat the milk and cream cheese mixture on high for 30 second intervals. Remove and mix well until the cream cheese is fully incorporated into the milk.How do you keep cheese sauce runny?
The solution is easy - add more water to replace the lost moisture while it is still warm. When I make this sort of thing I let it cool somewhat and then add pasta water in small amounts until I get a slacker sauce, then I refrigerate or freeze it.Secrets to a perfect Bechamel - White Sauce | Christine Cushing
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: George Dolgikh @ Giftpundits.com, George Dolgikh @ Giftpundits.com, George Dolgikh @ Giftpundits.com, Tima Miroshnichenko