I received a cheese making kit for Christmas, something I had been looking into for a while. This, alongside a cheese-making book lent me by my dad, have prodded me to actually do something I've though of for a while and start making my own cheese. The kit is for very simple fresh cheeses (a good place to start for a beginner), so I started with ricotta, making my own twice within a week. The first one came off perfectly. The flavour was creamier and richer than store bought ricotta, and it was easy and cheaper. In order to show-case it, I came up with a recipe for my own White Lasagne.
The second time, it worked a little less well. Little One woke up while I was heating the milk, and while it was at a low enough heat not to boil over, the milk scalded a little. When the ricotta thickened, it had a caramelised flavour. It was still tasty and rich, but different. In order to work with that change in flavour, I played off the caramelisation specifically and made Ricotta Gnocchi with a rich Pumpkin Sauce.
I will play around with this further and see if it is the pot or the temperature, or how much I stir which affects things most, and keep you posted. Over all though, I am delighted with these first two attempts!
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