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Home-made ricotta with basil, chilli, and fresh lemon

Name: Home-made ricotta with basil, chilli, and fresh lemon
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Italian recipes
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

By: Gill Meller

Published: 31 Aug 09
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Home-made ricotta with basil, chilli, and fresh lemon

This cheese recipe is a fresh, rewarding starter or snack from River Cottage head chef Gill Meller.

Easy
September 2009

Test kitchen approved

Serves 4
Hand-on time 20 mins plus straining time

This cheese recipe is a fresh, rewarding starter or snack from River Cottage head chef Gill Meller.

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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

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Method

Place the bay and peppercorns in a pan with the milk and a pinch of salt.
Warm the milk to just below body temperature. Remove from the heat and add the rennet.
Stir well. Allow to stand until curds form, 5 to 10 minutes.

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
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.
Chop the basil and add to the cheese, mix well, check the seasoning and serve.

Recipe from September 2009 Issue

delicious. tips

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.