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Graukäse mit Zwiebel

Name: Graukäse mit Zwiebel
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Alpine Italian
Ingredients: 400 g graukäse; 1 medium Red onion; 45 ml Apple cider vinegar; 45 ml sunflower oil; 15 ml cold water; 0.5 tsp whole caraway seeds; 2 tbsp Fresh chives; 0.25 tsp Fine sea salt; 0.5 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Graukäse mit Zwiebel (called formaggio grigio con cipolla in Italian) is a South Tyrolean dish of lean, pungent sour-milk cheese dressed in vinegar, oil and crisp raw onions.

🇮🇹Italy· Trentino-Alto Adige

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 0 min
Total: 15 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 185 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

400 g graukäse — South Tyrolean sour-milk cheese, sliced into 1 cm rounds
1 medium Red onion — peeled and sliced into paper-thin rings
45 ml Apple cider vinegar — traditional local fruit vinegar
45 ml sunflower oil — or a mild extra virgin olive oil
15 ml cold water — to temper the sharpness of the vinegar
½ tsp whole caraway seeds — Kümmel
2 tbsp Fresh chives — finely snipped
¼ tsp Fine sea salt — for seasoning the onions
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper — coarsely ground

Equipment

•Chef's knife
•Mandoline slicer
•Small mixing bowl
•Shallow serving platter

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 185 kcal
fat: 9 g
carbs: 4 g
fibre: 1 g
protein: 22 g
calories: 185 kcal

Instructions

1
Slice the red onion into paper-thin rings using a sharp knife or mandoline.
2
Place the sliced onion in a small bowl with a pinch of fine salt.
3
Whisk the apple cider vinegar, oil, water and cracked black pepper together in a small jug.
4
Cut the Graukäse into rough slices or bite-sized chunks about one centimetre thick.
5
Arrange the cheese pieces across a shallow serving platter in a single overlapping layer.
6
Scatter the salted onion rings evenly over the surface of the cheese.
7
Pour the vinegar and oil dressing generously over the cheese and onions.
8
Sprinkle the whole caraway seeds and snipped chives across the top.
9
Rest the dish at room temperature for ten minutes before serving to let the flavours meld.

Chef's tips

Use mature Graukäse with a glassy, translucent core for the most authentic pungent taste. Letting the dressed plate sit for ten minutes softens the crumbly curd and tempers the raw onion bite.

Ingredient substitutions

Graukäse → Harzer Käse or Quargel, as both are pungent, lean sour-milk cheeses with a similar texture
apple cider vinegar → mild white wine vinegar

Storage

Store dressed leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Reheating

Serve cold or at room temperature; do not reheat this dish.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Serving the cheese straight from the fridge when it is too cold and lacks aroma.
•Using an overly bitter or heavy olive oil that overpowers the delicate sourness of the cheese.
•Skipping the resting time, which prevents the vinegar from penetrating the dense curds.

Serving suggestions

Serve alongside South Tyrolean Schüttelbrot (crisp rye flatbread) and cold Alpine butter.Pair with a glass of light, chilled Vernatsch (Schiava) red wine.