A whole soft Czech Hermelín cheese sliced and layered into a jar with onion, garlic, peppercorns, chili, and oil, then left to steep for days. Tangy, garlicky, and oozing, it is the quintessential Czech pub snack to accompany beer.
Hermelín is the Czech answer to Camembert, developed after World War I: with the "Camembert" name patent-protected and the French recipe ill-suited to local taste, Czech dairies switched to pasteurized milk and a different white mould to make their own bloomy soft cheese. The name — from the white ermine fur of royal robes, echoing the cheese's fine white rind — was registered in 1946. Pickling it in spiced oil turned a simple cheese into a beer-hall legend. Found in nearly every Czech hospoda, the marinated wheel is a cornerstone of the Czech habit of pairing food with the country's famous beer. The longer it steeps, the more the garlic and chili infuse the softening cheese, making it a make-ahead staple of home pantries.
The cheese turns lusciously soft and runs at the center, sharp with garlic and warm with chili and paprika. Smeared on crusty bread with a forkful of the marinated onion, it is salty, pungent, and made for a cold pilsner.
Steeping in oil seals the cheese from air and slowly carries the fat-soluble aromas of garlic, chili, and paprika into the paste. Over days the bloomy rind softens and the interior ripens further, deepening flavor and creaminess.
Variations
Adding sun-dried tomatoes, layering in roasted peppers, spicing with extra chili for heat, including a spoon of mustard seeds
On the Palate
Where Nakládaný Hermelín (Czech Marinated Camembert) sits in the Czech flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
8 steps · 20 min
- 13 min
Halve the Hermelín cheese horizontally through the middle.
- 25 min
Thinly slice onion and garlic, and slice a chili pepper.
- 35 min
Layer cheese, onion, garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaf in a clean jar.
- 42 min
Sprinkle in sweet paprika and a little chili between the layers.
- 52 min
Pour in enough oil to completely submerge everything.
Watch outPour in enough oil to submerge everything completely — any cheese poking above the oil is exposed to air and won't ripen the same, and can spoil.
- 61 min
Seal the jar and refrigerate for at least three days.
Watch outRefrigerate at least three days before eating — the marinade needs those days to carry the garlic and paprika into the paste and soften the rind.
- 71 min
Turn the jar occasionally so the marinade distributes evenly.
- 83 min
Serve at room temperature with fresh bread to mop up the oil.
