Strawberry jam and yoghurt curd (cilek receli eksime)

• makes

  1.25 litres jam

• prep

  10 hours

• cook

  3:30 hours

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 kg hulled fresh or frozen strawberries
• 1.5 kg white sugar
• ½ lemon, juiced
• trabzon bread, to serve 

Yoghurt curd

• 2 litres milk
• 1 kg natural yoghurt
• 50 g unsalted butter, chopped
• 1 tsp sweet paprika

You will need a large piece of muslin to make the yoghurt curd; start recipe a day ahead.

Instructions

To make the yoghurt curd, combine milk, yoghurt and ½ tsp salt in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until mixture starts to separate. Bring to a gentle simmer (don’t allow mixture to boil), then reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Line a large sieve with muslin and place over a large bowl. Pour in yoghurt mixture, cover and refrigerate overnight. Turn mixture out into a clean bowl and discard liquid.

Melt butter in a frying pan over high heat. Add 125 ml water and paprika. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium. Crumble yoghurt curd, then gradually add to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 6 minutes or until mixture is dry. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until needed. The curd will keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

To make jam, combine strawberries and sugar in a large saucepan. Cover and set aside, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours.

Place strawberry mixture over medium heat and cook, stirring, for 8 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Add lemon juice, bring to the boil and stir in one direction to bring the impurities to the surface. Skim any impurities that rise to the surface and cook, stirring occasionally, for a further 55 minutes or until jam reaches 105°C on a sugar thermometer. (Alternatively, to test jam is at setting point, place a spoonful on a chilled plate; if there is a skin on the surface when you touch it, the jam is at setting point.)

Pour jam into sterilised jars, leaving a 3 mm gap at the top. Screw the lid on tightly and invert while jam cools to form a seal.

Serve yoghurt curd with jam on Trabzon bread. Refrigerate jam after opening.

Makes 1.25 litres jam and 800 g curd

As seen in Feast Magazine, Issue 13, pg55.

Photography by Christopher Ireland

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.