A Quick and No-Trick Question
The question: Are you saving the rinds from your used-up wedge of Parmesan cheese? If not, you’re missing out BIG TIME. And as you read, think about adding the recipe below to your Cook’n 15, then share share share. There really aren’t very many people that know about or are doing this yet. Be a trend-setter, by golly!
First, off, start doing this. Here’s how: Bag ‘em, date ‘em, freeze ‘em. They’ll last up to 18 months in the freezer. Once you know what you can do with them, you’ll go through them faster than you can freeze them.
Now to why you want to save them, or in other words, all the marvelous things you can do with them. I first learned about this cooking practice from recipe developer, Kylie Perrotti and it’s been my modus operandi ever since (and I’m quoting her all through this; she’s a genius cook).
Let’s start with a soup or pasta sauce. Have you ever made either of these and wished it just had a little something-something extra? That’s where parmesan rinds come in. Just add them to a sauce, a soup, a stew, or stock. They will not disintegrate, but instead, they’ll melt, releasing just a little extra cheesy, salty flavor into your dish. After the rinds are soft and gooey, their work is done and you can simply toss in the trash knowing that you made the most of them!
Rinds are also perfect for tomato or cream-based sauces. Some people swear by leaving them in the sauce overnight. Kylie suggests as short as 45 minutes to 2 hours is really where you get the most from the rind. Anything past that gives diminishing returns.
How else can you use the parmesan rinds? Here are a few tasty ideas:
STOCK. You’ll create one of the richest stocks you’ve ever made if you add a rind or two as you let your veggies simmer. This simple touch takes veggie stock from ho hum to HOLY COW!
RISOTTO. Add a rind halfway through cooking the rice and let it melt into the rice as you ladle in the liquid. It’ll make your risotto even more luxurious.
SOUPS AND STEWS. Minestrone, pasta e fagiole, Italian wedding soup, chicken cacciatore, even quiet little tomato soup…all of them will benefit from the little oomph a parmesan rind adds.
BROTH. Make a light parmesan broth and ladle it over cooked tortellini or ravioli.
Finally, INFUSED OLIVE OIL. If you have a lot of rinds, add them to an airtight jar or bottle and pour some good quality extra virgin olive oil on top. Give it a few days to infuse and then store in a cool, dark place. Enjoy that rich oil on salads or as a finishing oil for pasta!
I’ll finish with a totally new non-soup, non-stew suggestion for using your Parm rinds. This one-minute microwave hack transforms cheese scraps into salty, crunchy treasures. After just 10 seconds, you’ll hear the cheese popping and inflating like a bag of popcorn. (P.S. a paper towel tent on top of your plate might be a good idea.) And then, just eat them as if they were popcorn.
This idea comes to us from Annie Campbell of www.allrecipes.com. THANK YOU Annie—this is a terrific idea!
Parmesan cheese rinds
Directions:
Add Recipe to Cook'n
First, off, start doing this. Here’s how: Bag ‘em, date ‘em, freeze ‘em. They’ll last up to 18 months in the freezer. Once you know what you can do with them, you’ll go through them faster than you can freeze them.
Now to why you want to save them, or in other words, all the marvelous things you can do with them. I first learned about this cooking practice from recipe developer, Kylie Perrotti and it’s been my modus operandi ever since (and I’m quoting her all through this; she’s a genius cook).
Let’s start with a soup or pasta sauce. Have you ever made either of these and wished it just had a little something-something extra? That’s where parmesan rinds come in. Just add them to a sauce, a soup, a stew, or stock. They will not disintegrate, but instead, they’ll melt, releasing just a little extra cheesy, salty flavor into your dish. After the rinds are soft and gooey, their work is done and you can simply toss in the trash knowing that you made the most of them!
Rinds are also perfect for tomato or cream-based sauces. Some people swear by leaving them in the sauce overnight. Kylie suggests as short as 45 minutes to 2 hours is really where you get the most from the rind. Anything past that gives diminishing returns.
How else can you use the parmesan rinds? Here are a few tasty ideas:
STOCK. You’ll create one of the richest stocks you’ve ever made if you add a rind or two as you let your veggies simmer. This simple touch takes veggie stock from ho hum to HOLY COW!
RISOTTO. Add a rind halfway through cooking the rice and let it melt into the rice as you ladle in the liquid. It’ll make your risotto even more luxurious.
SOUPS AND STEWS. Minestrone, pasta e fagiole, Italian wedding soup, chicken cacciatore, even quiet little tomato soup…all of them will benefit from the little oomph a parmesan rind adds.
BROTH. Make a light parmesan broth and ladle it over cooked tortellini or ravioli.
Finally, INFUSED OLIVE OIL. If you have a lot of rinds, add them to an airtight jar or bottle and pour some good quality extra virgin olive oil on top. Give it a few days to infuse and then store in a cool, dark place. Enjoy that rich oil on salads or as a finishing oil for pasta!
I’ll finish with a totally new non-soup, non-stew suggestion for using your Parm rinds. This one-minute microwave hack transforms cheese scraps into salty, crunchy treasures. After just 10 seconds, you’ll hear the cheese popping and inflating like a bag of popcorn. (P.S. a paper towel tent on top of your plate might be a good idea.) And then, just eat them as if they were popcorn.
This idea comes to us from Annie Campbell of www.allrecipes.com. THANK YOU Annie—this is a terrific idea!
Parmesan Rind Crisps
Ingredients:
Parmesan cheese rinds
Directions:
1. Use the block of Parmesan until only the rind is left. Use a sharp knife to carefully shave the waxy coating off of the lettered side of the rind. Cut the rind into small squares, roughly one inch across.
2. Rinse under a stream of cold water and dry off.
3. Transfer to a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high for 1 minute. (Place the squares with the outer rind facing down before microwaving for easier removal). Allow to cool before handling.
(NOTE: The more rinds you save, the more crisps you'll have!)
2. Rinse under a stream of cold water and dry off.
3. Transfer to a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high for 1 minute. (Place the squares with the outer rind facing down before microwaving for easier removal). Allow to cool before handling.
(NOTE: The more rinds you save, the more crisps you'll have!)
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
Alice Osborne
Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2006
Email the author! alice@dvo.com
