Ricotta to make the Homemade Herb Ricotta Cream
With homemade ricotta you can make lots of different dishes, like pasta, ravioli or cakes. However, 5-element Homemade Herb Ricotta Cream is probably the easiest and quickest way to use it. Obviously, you can make the cream with shop bought ricotta but the version made at home is much smoother, tastier and better for you (and the environment).
Homemade ricotta – preparation
If you have not made ricotta at home yet it may sound a bit overwhelming at first. however, it is very easy to get really detailed recipes online. This time I got the inspiration from Jamie Oliver but decided to swap vinegar for lemon juice.
Homemade ricotta – step 1
To make about 400-500g of cheese you will need 3 pints (1,5litre) of whole milk and a cup (200ml) of double cream.
Put the milk and the cream in a large pan, add a flat teaspoon of salt and stir well. Warm it up on medium heat until it almost starts to boil. It might take a while but be patient. If you wanto to speed up the process and put the heat too high the milk will start to burn at the bottom and you will end up with brown threads of burnt milk in the cheese, like it happened to me once. This did not affect the flavour but did not look good either.
When the milk just starts to boil, turn the heat down and pour in juice of a small lemon or a half of a large one. Keep boiling at low heat stirring with a wooden spoon until the curds and whey separate. You will recognise when it is done easily, as the whey gets translucent. Turn the heat off and leave until the mixture cools down completely.
Homemade ricotta – step 2
Place a piece of muslin in a strainer and pour the mixture through it. Wrap the muslin around the cheese, tie a string a the top and hang above a small bowl to let it drip naturally for a few hours or overnight. In this way you get the perfect moisture – ricotta is neither too dry nor too watery. Alternatively, you can squeeze the liquid out (but make sure not too much) and use the cheese immediately.
The Herb Ricotta Cream – final step
Use a large mixing bowl and follow the cycle:
- Sweet ricotta cheese, 2-3 tablespoons of double cream, a few drops of olive oil (optional),
- Pungent a pinch of black pepper,
- Salty a generous pinch of sea salt, mix well,
- Sour 2-3 tablespoons of yoghurt, a splash of lemon juice, 2-3 fresh sprigs of parsley finely chopped,
- Bitter leaves of 3-4 sprigs of thyme, 2-3 leaves of sage finely chopped.
Mix all the ingredients and check the flavour, in case there is any flavour missing go over the cycle again adding a little bit of each to get the balanced taste.
Apart from the suggested herbs, feel free to add other fresh herbs to suit your taste, for example chives, marjoram, dill or mint. The combinations are endless.
Serve with Gourgeres French Cheese Puffs or Sweet or Savoury Pumpkin Pancakes.
