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1 lb
oscypek cheese (smoked sheep cheese)
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2 tbsp
butter
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2 tbsp
vegetable oil
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0.25 tsp
sea salt
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0.25 tsp
black pepper
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4 tbsp
cranberry jam or lingonberry jam
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1 tsp
fresh thyme, leaves only
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1
Cut 1 lb oscypek cheese (smoked sheep cheese) into 4 equal slices, each about 0.5 inch thick.
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2
Lightly brush both sides of each slice with 2 tbsp vegetable oil and season with 0.25 tsp sea salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper.
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3
Heat a grill pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp butter and allow it to foam.
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4
When the pan is very hot, carefully place the cheese slices in the pan.
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5
Grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side until the cheese begins to melt and a golden crust forms on the outside. The cheese should soften but maintain its shape.
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6
Transfer the grilled cheese to a serving platter.
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7
Sprinkle with 1 tsp leaves only fresh thyme and serve immediately with 4 tbsp cranberry jam or lingonberry jam on the side or spooned over the top.
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8
Serve while still warm and melty.
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About Oscypek
Also called: oscypki, grilled oscypek, oscypek z żurawiną
Oscypek is a smoked cheese made from salted sheep milk in the Tatra Mountains of southern Poland. It is pressed into decorated wooden molds, which give it a spindle shape and patterned rind, and then smoked. The name is protected in the EU, so true oscypek comes only from that region and season. In Zakopane and across the Polish highlands it is sold warm from street grills, sliced and grilled until the outside browns and the inside softens, and served with cranberry jam. That is what this recipe reproduces at home in a grill pan or cast-iron skillet.
The cheese is firm and does not melt into a puddle. Grilled correctly it softens and turns slightly springy inside while the smoky rind crisps, so it holds its shape on the plate. Cut the slices evenly, about 1/2 inch thick, so they all finish at the same time. Thinner slices soften too fast and lose the crust before they brown.
Serving and keeping
Serve straight from the pan, warm, with the jam on the side. It firms up as it cools and does not reheat well; uncooked cheese keeps for weeks wrapped in the fridge.
Variations
Wrapped in bacon
Wrap each slice in a strip of bacon and grill until the bacon is crisp, a common highland street version.
Over charcoal
Grill whole small cheeses or thick slices directly over charcoal for more smoke.
Smoked cheese salad
Slice the grilled cheese over salad greens with the jam whisked into a vinaigrette.
If it goes wrong
Cheese sticks to the pan
The pan was not hot enough. Wait until the butter foams and the pan is very hot before the slices go in, and do not move them for the first 2 minutes.
Slices slump and run
They were cut too thin or cooked too long. Keep slices about 1/2 inch thick and stop at 2 to 3 minutes per side.
No golden crust
Brush the slices with oil as in step 2 and use medium-high heat; low heat warms the cheese without browning it.
Substitutions
- oscypek cheese: gołka, or a firm smoked cheese such as smoked scamorza or halloumi. Gołka is the cow-milk relative; halloumi grills well but is not smoked.
- cranberry jam or lingonberry jam: red currant jelly. Similar tart contrast, slightly sweeter.
- butter: more vegetable oil. Less browning and less flavor on the crust.
Questions
What should Oscypek look like when it is ready?
Go by the cues in the method rather than the clock. Step 5: cook until the cheese begins to melt and a golden crust forms on the outside.
Do I need any special equipment for Oscypek?
Beyond a knife and a board, the method uses a cast-iron skillet (step 3) and a grill pan (step 3). If you do not have one, a heavy stainless skillet replaces the cast iron; preheat it a little longer.
Can I make Oscypek dairy-free?
Not cleanly. Here the dairy (1 lb oscypek cheese (smoked sheep cheese), 2 tbsp butter) is the backbone of the dish, and plant-based substitutes change both its texture and its flavor. If you need strictly dairy-free, start from the dairy-free appetizer collection instead.
Is Oscypek vegan?
No, though it is vegetarian. What keeps it from vegan is 1 lb oscypek cheese (smoked sheep cheese) and 2 tbsp butter. For fully plant-based entries, see the vegan appetizer collection.
How long does Oscypek keep?
Refrigerate what is left of Oscypek within two hours and eat it within three days. Reheat in a hot skillet rather than the microwave to keep the char.
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