Pecorino with Saffron and Black Pepper

Description

This particular golden looking cheese is made from Sicilian ewe’s milk only, in the city of Enna, with the addition of saffron.
The saffron is added during the curd making, along with black pepper, in order to have the maximum exctraction of color and spicy taste.
Right after, the curd is put into rush baskets (canestri in Italian) and then Pecorino with saffron ripened for at least 2 months in fresh cellars on the hills of Enna, where the climate is typical Mediterranean.
The best producing period goes from late winter to early summer, when pastures are rich of green and fresh herbs that will give the milk, and thus the cheese, a softer and more aromatic taste.

The whole wheel weights around 3 kg, but we offer you one eighth weighting 350 g.

• Taste: delicate, lightly spicy, and aromatic.
• Scent: particular, spiced, and mild.
• Outer appearance: golden yellow with some black dots due to black pepper, rough rind (not edible).
• Inner appearance: semi-hard, compact and a little elastic.

Our suggestion for:

• Food pairings: as it is, clementines and spices marmalade, Passito Mostarda, to enrich a typical Sicilian dish “Maccarruna ‘ntagamati”.
• Alcoholic pairings: Prosecco Superiore Brut D.O.C.G., Verdejo – Vendimia Nocturna, Val-Dieu Cuvée 800.

How to prepare for serving: remove the outer plastic skin, let heat at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving along with the suggested pairings.