Making fresh cheese, as with this ricotta recipe, is a simple process that just involves heating milk and adding acid to curdle it.
Adapted from Alice Waters’ My Pantry, this recipe is perfect for dolloping on crepes with some sugared strawberries, Meyer lemon zest, and powdered sugar.
Our cheese mold, created especially for SHED by a local artist and inspired by vintage designs, will help you create a soft, tender ricotta.
Ricotta
Makes about 1 ½ cups
4 cups whole milk (not ultra-pasteurized)
1 ½ tablespoon distilled white vinegar
¾ teaspoon sea salt
Heat the milk in a heavy-bottomed nonreactive pot over medium heat until the temperature reaches 190°F. Stir the milk occasionally to keep it from scorching.
Pour in the vinegar, stir briefly, and bring the temperature back to 190°F. The milk should coagulate and separate into white curds and lighter colored whey. If this does not happen, add a bit more vinegar, ½ teaspoon at a time. Turn off the heat and let sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.
Place a sieve over a large bowl and line with a few layers of cheesecloth, or a single layer of butter muslin. Gently ladle the curds from the pot into the cloth-lined sieve with a slotted spoon.
Slowly stir in the salt. Drain for a few minutes, or longer if you prefer a firmer ricotta. Eat right away or refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Whipped Meyer Lemon Ricotta
Our go-to crepe recipe topped with some whipped Meyer lemon ricotta makes for the perfect breakfast.
1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
Zest of 1 Meyer lemon
1/4 cup cold heavy cream
1 pint strawberries, sliced and sugared to taste (optional)
Combine the ricotta, zest, lemon juice, and powdered sugar in the bowl of a mini food processor. Process for 10 to 15 seconds until smooth. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whip the cream until it reaches soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream and ricotta mixture together. Set aside.
Put a dollop of the whipped Meyer lemon ricotta on each warm crepe. Dust each crepe layer with powdered sugar and sprinkle lightly with lemon juice. Fold in quarters and garnish with lemon zest, another dollop of ricotta cream, powdered sugar, and sugared strawberries as desired.