salt |

Ricotta is a cheese that I usually avoid at the grocery store. The problem with generic ricotta is it is usually drastically under seasoned, very grainy, and really lacks depth. Enter homemade ricotta.

This weekend at the restaurant we need some ricotta so I decided that I would make a batch and make it good. This was my first try but I had heard it was really easy. If you’re interested in starting to make your own cheese, this is a great place to start.

**Please excuse the photos, all I had was my phone.

Whole Milk Ricotta
yields 1 pound

3.75 L whole milk
125 ml whipping cream
1 teaspoon citric acid powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt

In a non-reactive pot combine the milk, cream, citric acid, and one teaspoon of the salt. Mix with a whisk to combine. Over medium-low heat, slowly bring the temperature up to 185°F. Stir the milk frequently and gently with a rubber spatula. Once the milk nears the desired temperature you will notice that the curds start to separate from the whey (the clear-ish yellow liquid). Run your spatula around the edge of the pot to loosen the curds and make them rotate. Once the milk reaches the right temperature, remove from the heat and cover. Let stand undisturbed for 10 minutes. Line a strainer with cheese cloth over a bowl and gently ladle the curds into the strainer. Gently toss the remaining teaspoon of salt in the curds. Bring the corners of the cheesecloth together and hang over a bowl in the fridge for 1-2 hours. Andddddd you’re done! Enjoy the best ricotta you’ll have ever had.

Infused salts are so much fun to use. By infusing salt with other flavours you not only boost the flavour of the salt, you also boost the flavour of what you add to the salt. It might seem like a daunting task, but it’s the easiest thing in the world to do and it will provide an extra boost to your meal. Simply sprinkle it over cooked meat, pastas, risotto, anything.

All you need to do is put coarse sea salt in your food processor and pulse it until you have the size of grain you want. If you don’t have a food processor use a mortar and pestle, please don’t use a blender. After that, all you need to do is add your flavours to the salt. The longer the mixture is left, the more the flavours will develop. Below is a list of some examples of what you can infuse your salt with:

thyme
rosemary
lemon zest
orange zest
lime zest
star anise
cinnamon
oregano
cloves

Recently I infused salt with thyme and lemon zest and put it in small mason jars as Christmas gifts. Everyone I gave it to loved the idea.

Tag Archives: salt

Recipe: Homemade Ricotta Cheese

Ingredient Focus: Infused Salt