Fresh Ricotta
Ricotta is so easy to make. With only 3 ingredients and a few minutes you have a fresh cheese that is a lot better then the store-bought version. The taste is very subtle and soft. So it needs strong flavours to combine. Think of good olive oil, sour ingredients or ripe & sweet fruit.
Some inspiration tips:
Make a simple pasta with tomato sauce, garlic, good olive oil, basilicum & parmesan. Top with your fresh ricotta and your friends will be very grateful
Go sweet in the morning combined with sour black berry-vanille compote (see pic) or figs & honey
As an appetiser with thick sourdough toast, tomatoes, oregano, olives and lot’s of black pepper
Ingredients (+/- 140 g):
1 liter of full fat milk
Juice of half of a lemon
1 teaspoon of salt
Tip: if you want a creamier ricotta, add 250 ml full fat cream in step 1
Extra materials: large sieve, cheesecloth
Directions:
Line a large sieve with a layer of cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl.
Pour the full fat milk into a heavy bottom saucepan and place over a medium heat. Add the salt, and stir until it has dissolved.
As the milk comes to the boil, lots of small bubbles will appear on the surface. If you notice this, stir the milk with a wooden spoon and pour in the lemon juice.
Small lumps will start to rise to the surface as the milk curdles. These are the curds (if you don’t see curds, add some more lemon juice). It’s important not to stir at this point, or the curds will re-dissolve!
Allow the milk to curdle for several minutes.
Pour the mixture into the sieve lined with cheese cloth sitting over a bowl.
Drain for at least 40 minutes if you want a thick ricotta to use as a filling. For a spreadable version you can drain if for 10 minutes.
Store covered in the fridge and use within 3 days.
In this picture I combined the ricotta with fresh black berries, red fruit compote roasted coconut flakes & zest & juice of a lemon
Nina Beckers
