Can it really be that simple? I've seen people make there own ricotta cheese and I've always wanted to try it. Alton Brown used skim milk and called it cottage cheese. I guess you can switch up the type of milk you use and get a different consistancy but the process is the same no matter what milk you use. This is a great thing to do that's kind of impressive when putting out a spread of appetizers for guest. And it doesn't even feel like cooking. It feels more like a science experiment! How cool is that.
Just keep in mind that the word Ricotta in italian means twice cooked. Real ricotta is actually made from the whey leftover after making mozzerella. So even though this isn't exactly like the real deal, when it all comes down to it what matters is how it tastes.
So here's what I did:
4 cups 1% milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbs salt
3 tbs white vinegar
I put the milk, cream and salt in a medium pot on a medium heat. Make sure to watch it so it doesn't boil over. You can use a food thermometer and bring it up to 120 degrees. I didn't use one. I just watched it and brought it to high heat..almost boiling but not quite. I read that if you boil the milk your cheese will be grainy. I then added my vinegar and gave it a stir. I let it sit for about ten minutes and then drained it in a paper towel lined strainer. I didn't have any cheese cloth. I then turned it into another paper towel lined bowl and drained it some more. Keep in mind the more you drain it the drier it will be. Alton Browns method is just as easy however he stirs in cream at the end after the draining so you get a creamier texture like the store bought kind. I really liked the way this came out for a first time batch. I'm going to experiment and not drain it as much the next and see if I get a creamier consistancy. Here are the pictures of my first attempt.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4
No comments:
Post a Comment