Ricotta

Jade Amenta from Melbourne’s Solarino restaurant shares this traditional recipe for making ricotta, handed down to her by her nonno. This can be prepared either with sheep or cow's milk. Traditionally, ricotta used to be curdled with a fig branch and leaf. Ricotta can be enjoyed salty, with pasta or on a slice of bread; or sweet, as a filling for cannoli or cakes.

file:7107_tortellini-di-ricotta.jpg

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 litres milk
• 5 tsp lactate in ¼ cup of warm water
• 3 tsp salt

Instructions

Mix the lactate in the warm water and set aside.

In a wide pot over a medium heat, add the milk and salt. Stir and wait until the liquid starts "jumping" (just before boiling).

Add the lactate and stir vigorously. As soon as some cracks appear take the pot off the heat and with a spoon skim the top of the mixture.

The ricotta is ready to be used.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.