Dulce de Leche Cortada

Dulce de leche cortada is a Latin American dessert of sweet caramelised milk curds, remembered in Cuban cooking. This profile follows Ignacio Enrique Hernandez's Cuban family recipe, which curdles milk with lemon peel before adding whole egg, sugar and salt.

Slow reduction concentrates the milk into a rich caramel sweetness, while lemon peel provides the acidity that separates the curds and adds a light citrus aroma. Egg gives the curds extra richness and salt keeps the sweetness from tasting flat.

The finished dessert resembles pale cottage-cheese curds suspended in glossy amber caramel. The curds are soft and slightly squeaky rather than smooth, with only a small amount of thick syrup left around them.