How to Make Homemade Ricotta Cheese
Reprinted with permission from Better on Toast: Happiness on a Slice of Bread–70 Irresistible Recipes by Jill Donenfeld (William Morrow).
Photograph by John Von Pamer
Ricotta
Makes 1 to 1½ cups ricotta, but this recipe doubles easily
There’s a ricotta variety show just waiting for you to join in on. But let’s be honest here. Something is stopping you. It’s the cheesecloth, isn’t it? Remembering to buy it makes the whole ricotta concept annoying. But once you have that, you’re good for a lot of ricot. One ricotta recipe can morph into a million flavors. You can steep herbs in the mixture as it’s heating up, whip honey into it after it’s strained, or swirl in jam just before serving. Here’s the foundation of the Ricotta All-Star team and many, many toasts.
1 quart whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Cheesecloth
In a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the milk, cream, and salt to a boil, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn. After the mixture comes to a boil, 10 to 12 minutes, lower the heat to a simmer.
Add the lemon juice and keep stirring as the mixture simmers. It should curdle after 2 minutes. The longer you allow the mixture to curdle, the “harder” your cheese will be.
Line a sieve or mesh strainer with cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl.
Pour the mixture into the lined sieve and set aside to strain for 1 hour. (Same thing here: Strain it longer to make it thicker or for a shorter time to make it thinner. It’s a matter of taste.) Discard the liquid and transfer the ricotta to a bowl. Chill until cold.
Now that you have all this ricotta, here’s what you can do with it:
The Summeriest Beet, Plum, and Ricotta Salad
Lemon Ricotta Gnocchi Recipe with Fresh Peas
