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Recipes
Home-made ricotta with basil, chilli, and lemon
recipe
By
Gill Mellor, head chef at River Cottage
Serving instructions
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Serves 4-6 as a starter
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Rating
This cheese recipe is a fresh, rewarding starter or snack from River Cottage head chef Gill Meller.
Ingredients
- 2 litres of organic whole milk
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 peppercorns
- 4 tsp of vegetarian rennet
- 1-2 pinches of chilli flakes
- Juice and zest of a lemon
- 2-3 tbsp of olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- 1. Place the bay and peppercorns in a pan with the milk and a pinch of salt.
- 2. Warm the milk to just below body temperature. Remove from the heat and add the rennet.
- 3. Stir well. Allow to stand until curds form, 5 to 10 minutes.
- 4. Line a large sieve with a square of cheese cloth and set this over a bowl in which to catch the whey. Pour in the curds and whey. Allow the whey to strain off, then gather the corners of the cheese cloth up tie securely with string. Hang up in a cool place to drain for 2- 3 hours
- 5. Remove and roughly break up the curd. Add the grated zest, chili and lemon juice, a good twist of black pepper and a good pinch of salt.
- 6. Chop the basil and add to the cheese, mix well, check the seasoning and serve.
Chef's tip
The Dig Your Dinner campaign, which encourages people to get growing to experience the rewarding benefits of organically grown produce, is being supported by River Cottage head chef Gill Meller. Gill has devised some delicious recipes championing home-grown vegetables, such as this one.