Yesterday, out of the blue and who knows why, the thought, 'lemon ricotta' popped into my head. This seemed like a very good idea indeed, so when we were out doing our errands, I picked up a litre of milk, came home, and began. I had a net bag of three organic lemons that a friend had given me, so I washed those and grated the zest. I squeezed out the juice and set the saucepan of milk on the induction hob to heat up, stirring frequently. When it was just starting to get a few small bubbles on top, I dumped in the lemon juice. It curdled right away, but I stirred for a couple more minutes before taking it off the heat and letting it sit for 15 minutes. Because the curds were very small, I poured it into my fine mesh strainer to let the whey drain. I put the ricotta into a container and stirred in about half of the lemon zest. I put the other half in the freezer. I let the ricotta sit to cool, adding back a bit more whey as needed, because it firms up as it sits. After it was cool, I stirred in more whey and some desiccated coconut.
This morning, I had some for breakfast--OMG! It is so delicious! I've made ricotta plenty of times, but never like this and I don't know why. It won't be the last time, though. I love it! It's perfect for spring and summer, too. This morning I had it mixed with a sliced banana, some blueberries, and a couple of chopped dates. I don't know where the thought came from, but I'm glad I followed it to the end result.
4 comments:
I have never known anyone who made ricotta, Sheri! Kudos to you. We use ricotta primarily in lasagna, and it is the filling in delicious cannolis we buy at the Italian deli. Lemon ricotta sounds exceptional. Next time I’m in your neighbourhood I’ll drop by for a spoonful or two!
You're both always welcome, David! My mother used to make cannoli with ricotta filling and that's how I thought they always were. But then in both Oregon and Niagara Falls, NY, I had them with mascarpone filling --delicious!
What a good thought that was :)
Your ricotta sound so good.
All the best Jan
It is fabulous--and perfect for spring and summer because it's so fresh and light.
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