Aug 1 / Jonell Galloway

Switzerland: Fresh Fruit Séré/Quark Cheese Mousse

curd cheese, fresh cheese, fresh fruit mousse, quark, recipe, ricotta, serac, séré, Swiss food, Switzerland

In Switzerland, séré, as it is called in the French-speaking part of the country, or quark, as it is called in the German-speaking part, is a fresh cheese similar to curd cheese or cottage cheese and to ricotta, but the process of making it differs somewhat. Milk is first soured, then warmed until the desired degree of denaturation of milk proteins is met. It is then strained, so that it is smooth in consistency.

: Photo courtesy of Dead Animal for Two.

It is good eaten simply, with fresh fruit and a touch of sugar, but it can also be used for cooking.

When summer fruit is so abundant, this fresh fruit mousse makes for a different way of eating it.

You can buy either the full-fat version or a low-fat one. The full-fat version will be marked séré de crème in supermarkets; the full-fat version will be marked séré maigre or quark “maigre,” meaning low-fat. For this recipe, it’s best to buy it homemade from the cheesemonger or the full-fat version.

If séré is not available in your area, follow this easy recipe to make it yourself.

Recipe

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: Photo courtesy of Culinary Finds.

Ingredients

200 g of séré or quark with high cream content (full-milk)
1/2 to 1 dl milk
45 to 55 g sugar, depending on how sweet your fruit is (you’ll have to do a taste test!)
250 g fresh fruit
Juice of half a lemon

Pour séré and sugar in a mixing bowl. Gradually add milk, beat until smooth and mixture has the consistency of a mousse
If fruit is large, chop it. If it is small, such as raspberries or wild strawberries, it can be left whole.
Add fruit to séré mixture.
Carefully mix in lemon.
Pour into serving bowl. Chill slightly before serving.

This will produce a mousse with chunky fruit. If you’d like a smoother one, just run the fruit through the food processor before blending it into the séré.