The Cheese

San Mateo is a semi-fresh cheese which fits into what I call "kitchen cheese" – not made for cheeseboards, but for frying, grilling, sandwiches, salads, or blending with olive oil and herbs as a filling.

Made from locally sourced goat's and cow's milk, San Mateo cheese is named after the town of Vega de San Mateo, situated in the lush, mountainous centre of Gran Canaria.

Method:

1. Place a small frying pan over a medium heat.
2. When hot, place one piece of greaseproof paper in the pan and put the cheese on top.
3. Cover with the second piece of greaseproof paper and leave undisturbed for around 1 minute, until the cheese starts to melt at the edges, then flip over and continue cooking for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.
4. Remove the top piece of greaseproof paper and flip over onto a serving plate.
5. Carefully remove the paper and serve with the mojos. 

 
Little Tip: Once the cheese has lightly caramelised it will melt fast, so watch carefully. You can leave it in the pan for longer to create a thicker golden crust and a molten centre or lightly caramelise it. This smoked cheese is delicious served with one (or all three) of the mojos: green mojo with pimiento y cilanto, naranja, and rojo picón.
 
Mojo Rojo Picon Brindisa - (Brindisa Canarian hot red sauce)
 
Method:
First, prepare the peppers by soaking them in warm water for 20 minutes. Drain them and scrape our the flesh. 
Grind the cumin seeds using a pestle and mortar and put through a fine sieve. Return to the mortar with the rest of the ingredients, except the olive oil, and pound to a paste. Add the olive oil slowly and work it until well combined.
 
Mojo verde con pimiento y cilantro - (Coriander mojo with green peppers) 
 
Method:
As with the red version of this, the traditional way to make the mojo is using pestle and mortar, but the easy way is to whiz everything , except the oil, in a blender, then add the oil slowly at the need to allow it to emulsify properly. 
If using pestle and mortar, first crush the garlic cloves with he salt (the salt helps to smash the garlic). Add the chopped coriander, parsley, if using, and the cumin , and grind until you have a paste. Add the fresh green pepper and chili, if using, and continue to grind, until once again have a paste.
Add the oil, little at a time , until it is all incorporated. Finally, mix in the vinegar. Do this just before serving, to keep the powerful green colour that the coriander gives to the sauce. If it feels too thick, add a few drops of water. 
 
Mojo de naranja - (orange and coriander sauce)
Method:
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small pan, put in the bread and fry briefly until just golden. Remove and set aside. Pound the garlic to a paste with the salt, just using the pestle and mortar , add the bread and keep pounding , then put in the coriander leaves and pound to a smooth paste.
Cut the oranges in half across the middle and squeeze the juice into the mixture in the mortar, working it in with the pestle all the time. Tear out the remaining pulp from the oranges (avoiding the pith and seeds) and incorporate. Work in the remaining olive oil, and then the vinegar.
Pour into a bowl and then leave to stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour, to let the flavours develop.