Although the two great Italian hard cheeses, Parmesan and Grana Padano, have certain differences, both are made in a similar way: with raw cow’s milk and in huge wheels.
Besides sharing a grainy texture, ideal for grating, they are characterized by having a completely edible rind, which, even so, we usually throw away. It is true that the crust cannot be eaten as it is, but in Italy nobody throws them away, since there are many preparations to take advantage of it.
The most common is to add it to a stew: with prolonged cooking it ends up melting, as in the classic Neapolitan pasta and potato soup. But it can also be used much faster using the microwave.
Just cut the crust into small pieces, one centimeter, and put them in the microwave for three minutes at maximum power. The cheese is blown and it is crunchy and very tasty. All you have to do is let them cool down a bit to have a top appetizer!
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