Katuk is a traditional Bulgarian cuisine dish, which is made in some parts of the country. Real katuk is a refined delicacy, which, however, can only be prepared in late August-early September, when the sheep's milk is thickest.
To make real katuk you need good quality fresh sheep's milk and lots and lots of patience. Put the milk in a suitable container, add 1 tsp. of salt per liter of milk and boil it for 3-4-5 hours in a water bath on very low heat. The goal is for part of the water in the milk to boil and for it to acquire the consistency of thin mayonnaise and its taste - of cheese.
The katuk is then chilled, left to mature for about a week, by being stirred from time to time. It is put into jars and sealed with wax. It is best to store it in a dry and cold place to preserve its unique taste.
In some parts of the country, instead of katuk, they prepare crokmach, which is almost the same, with the small difference that cheese is added to the condensed milk. Ready-made katuk can be found in stores, but it has nothing to do with the original katuk, which produced according to an authentic recipe.
The katuk, which is sold in stores is made from strained sour sheep's milk, with added crumbled cheese, spices and stabilizers.
You will find tried and tested recipes for homemade katuk, as well as various katuk salads, stuffed tomatoes with katuk and crokmach on our website.
