Melk-kos (literally,
‘milk-food’) to
me it’s the ultimate winter comfort food!
It’s warm, sweet, stodgy, cinnamony
and just delicious – trust me on this one!
Making melk-kos looks
complicated, but it’s easy enough when you know how, so here’s a step by step recipe:
You wil need the following:
- 1/2 cup of flour
- A little salt
- Cold water
- 3 cups of milk
- Cinnamon and sugar to serve
Directions:
- Place the flour in a bowl, mix in the salt and add enough water to make a workable dough.
- Tip the dough out onto a floured surface (I usually work on a bread board) and knead it slightly to combine – no need for more, it’s not a bread dough, you just want to be able to roll it out.
- Cut the dough in half, set one half aside and roll out the other half until it is a paper-thin rectangle (roughly). Use plenty of flour to prevent sticking.
4. Cut
the rectangle into strips about 5 or 6 cms
wide.
5. Pile
the strips up on top of each other, with plenty of flour
between them.
6. Now
cut across the pile with a very sharp knife to form thin little
strips – try to
almost ‘shave’ the dough.
7. Place
them in a bowl and add several more heaped tablespoons
of flour. Work the flour
through the strips so that they are
separated, adding as much flour as you feel
it needs.
8. Repeat
the process with the other piece of dough. You should
have a bowlful of floured
strips of dough when you are finished.
9. Measure
3 cups of milk (and it may as well be full-cream, people,
this is NOT a diet
recipe)
into a large pot, and bring to the boil.
Turn down the heat.
10. Now
sprinkle the strips of dough and the extra flour into the
boiling milk, stirring as you do so.
11. Allow
to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until it is thick and
cooked (do a taste test),
stir often to prevent it from sticking
and burning.
Dish up into bowls, sprinkle with
sugar and cinnamon (or let each person do their own!); it makes enough for 4
generous bowls. I think this could also be served as a dessert, then it would
be enough for 6, but it must be served immediately.
And yes, I have made this
when camping!!!!!!
A bowl of melk-kos on a cold wintery afternoon, while sitting in front of a fire, is the perfect comfort food, very satisfying.