The flavor and quality of freshly grated Parmesan is superior to those packaged ready-made. Grating your cheese is not as quick and easy as using the pre-grated one but the flavor and the final result are really different in terms of quality. You can use a cheese grater, flake it straight from the mold or cut it into small pieces and it will still be perfect for seasoning pasta or other recipes.
Ingrediants
Portions:
Enough to season 4-6 pasta dishes
Preparation time:
10 minutes
A 125 g piece of Parmesan
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Grate the Parmesan with a Manual Cheese Grater
Using a manual cheese grater is a quick way to make small amounts of cheese for use in recipes.
Step 1. Put the grater in a shallow bowl
You can also use a cutting board or a large plate, the important thing is that it can hold the cheese.
Step 2. Grab the piece of Parmesan and slide it back and forth on the grater
If the grater has holes of different sizes, use the side with the larger holes.
Step 3. Use a knife or spoon to remove the cheese from the grater
If the Parmesan is cold, there is little chance that it will stick to the grater
Step 4. Put the Parmesan into the bowls
Method 2 of 2: Grate the Parmesan with a Blender
If you don't have a manual grater, you can use a blender, especially if you need to make large quantities of cheese.
Step 1. Put the piece of Parmesan on a cutting board
Step 2. With a knife, cut the Parmesan into cubes about 1.5 cm in size
Step 3. Blend 3 or 4 pieces of cheese at a time
Step 4. Use the "grater" setting
If your blender does not have a grater setting, use the "pulse" function.
Advice
- Use a piece of cling film to hold the cheese more firmly as you grate it.
- Rinse the grater immediately as soon as you finish using it to prevent the cheese from sticking.
- The tastiest Parmesan is the aged one (at least 12 months).
- For a serving or two, use a small grater that can be brought to the table. The texture of the cheese will be much finer and snowflake-like.
Warnings
- When grating, hold your hand upright and stop when the piece of cheese gets too small.
- When using the blender, set it to the lowest speed, otherwise it may reduce the cheese to a pulp.
