Nakládaný Hermelín is Czech marinated cheese. It's sometimes called pickled cheese, although it's not actually pickled. It's very popular in Bohemian pubs, and super simple to make yourself at home! Serve it with rye bread and a cold pilsner.
7 to 8ouncewheel Hermelín, Camembert, or Brie cheese
1small onion or ½ medium onion,peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
3clovesgarlic,minced (about 1 ½ tablespoons)
1red chili pepper or jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced OR 1 teaspoon ground crushed chili flakes or cayenne pepper
1tablespoonpaprika
1teaspoondried thyme
1teaspoonwhole peppercorns
½teaspoonwhole allspice berries
⅛teaspoonkosher salt
3bay leaves
1 ½cupsolive oil, grapeseed oil, or sunflower oil, or enough to cover
Instructions
Cut the cheese into 8 cubes or wedges.
In a mixing bowl combine the onion, garlic, chili pepper, paprika, thyme, peppercorns, allspice berries, salt, and bay leaves. Then add the cheese cubes and stir to coat.
Transfer the cheese mixture to a glass jar (24 ounces is perfect but larger is fine) and add enough oil until it’s completely submerged. Seal tightly and marinate in the refrigerator for about 3 to 5 days or up to 2 weeks. The oil will get thick and cloudy when chilled (it may stay liquid until the first time you remove the lid and agitate it, but eventually will thicken).
Allow the jar to sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving to allow the oil to liquify and the cheese to soften. Serve with rye bread (traditional) or any other bread you prefer.
Notes
Hermelín is a mold-ripened cheese originating in the town of Sedlčany in Czech Bohemia. Camembert and Brie are both fine substitutes.
I’ve seen this made 2 different ways: 1 where the wheel of cheese is cut crosswise into 2 halves and spread with herbs and spices, then sandwiched closed and either marinated whole or cut into pieces before marinating; the other is like this where it’s cubed and then simply marinated which is a bit easier and just as good.
I reused a 24 ounce jar from a Classico pasta sauce that I had saved. It was the perfect size.
Traditionally this is made by leaving the mixture out at room temperature for days or weeks to marinate. Due to concerns of food-born illness I feel it’s much safer to marinate it in the fridge, and that is what I recommend.
When taking cheese out of the jar to eat, make sure you use a clean spoon or fork so you don’t contaminate the rest of the cheese.
This is traditional Czech pub food. Don’t forget the pilsner!