Weekend Cooking: Creamy Ricotta

Last week I posted the recipe for Mini Calzones, which included ricotta.  And that gave me the idea...why not share my ricotta recipe?  (Well, it isn't MINE but I ripped it out of Food and Wine in November 2008 and it resides in my kitchen folder!)  Of course, it is convenient to buy your ricotta at the grocery store.  It tastes fine.  But sometimes it is fun to make your own and impress your friends and family.  It makes you seem so Martha Stewart.

And the funny thing is...it is insanely easy to do, and tastes so much better than store-bought.  So here you go.

Ingredients:

2 quarts whole milk, preferably organic
1 cup heavy cream, preferably organic
3 TBL white vinegar
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions:

1.  In a medium pot, warm the milk and cream over moderately high heat until the surface becomes foamy and steamy and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the milk registers 185 degrees.  Don't let the milk boil.  Remove the pot from the heat.  Add the vinegar and stir gently for 30 seconds; the mixture will curdle almost immediately.  Add the salt and stir for 30 seconds longer.  Cover the pot with a clean towel and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.

2.  Line a large colander with several layers of cheesecloth, allowing several inches of overhang.  Set the colander in a large bowl.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the curds to the colander.  Carefully gather the corners of the cheesecloth and close with a rubber band.  Let the ricotta stand for 30 minutes, gently pressing and squeezing the cheesecloth occasionally to drain off the whey.  Transfer the ricotta to a bowl and use at once, or cover and refrigerate.  Ricotta can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

   

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