Ricotta Salata    

“Ricotta” refers to a soft Italian cheese made from the whey of milk. So in true Italian style, you can use whey ( left over from making cheese) to make Ricotta. BUT.. if this is your first attempt rather use milk , and attempt using the left over whey for your next Ricotta making endeavour (:  Ricotta Salata however is ricotta cheese that has been dried and salted. It us a hard cheese that is delicious with salads and pastas.

I hope you had a read through my previous post “ A crash course in cheese making”. Now you are ready to attempt your first yummy cheese!!  This is the recipe I started with and on  difficulty levels it ranks ‘easy’ and you’ll be surprised how easy it really is.Italians typically use Ricotta in Lasagne and Cheesecakes.

You will need

-    A pot

-    A wooden spoon

-    A strainer.

-    A cooking thermometer is best, but I actually just use  a room thermometer (: just make sure it can go up to 100’C

-    A cheese cloth

-    A cheese press mould

Ingredients

-        2 cups full cream milk / low fat milk. 

       (remember not ULTRA   PASTEURIZED)

-        2 Tablespoons distilled white vinegar/lemon juice

-        ¼ teaspoon salt

Method

Step 1- Pour milk into saucepan, and whisk frequently. Heat to 75 ˚ C, and take the pot off the stove.

Step 2- Add vinegar / lemon juice. Do not whisk, but rather slowly stir with a wooden spoon. The milk will start to form a curd. 
( If you stir too much you will break up the curd)

Step 3- Leave the pot off the stove and allow the curds to rest for 25 min. This allows the curd to set.

Step 4- Pour curds into a strainer, lined with  cheese cloth .

Step 5-  Salt the ricotta, and then let it drain for 30 min – 4 hours. You will know the curd is ready when most of the whey 
( or yellowish substance) has drained out, and the ricotta is clumps together. 

At this stage you have made yummy ricotta – use it in lasagne, on a salad or in cheesecake.

Step 6- To make Ricotta Salata - 

Place the cheese cloth in a cheese mould. You can use any plastic container and make small holes in it to allow the whey to drain out.  I just improvised and bought a (clean and new) kitchen sink drainer . It works perfectly and already has holes in it. (:

Step 7 – Place a small plate / or an extra clean sink drainer on the cheese mould . ( so that the weight does not press directly into the cheese) Place a weight on the cheese overnight. This helps to further drain the whey form the cheese and make a delicious hard cheese. Place a 2-3 kg weight on the cheese , and leave it overnight.

Again I improvised and used my couch as a weight (:

Step 8- The cheese should not be noticeably firmer. Remove it from the mould and wrap it in cling wrap. Leave it in the fridge.

Step 9- From now on the cheese must stay in the fridge. For the next week you need to unwrap your cheese once a day and sprinkle 1 tsp of salt over the outside of the cheese. This is to absorb any more whey that leaks out.

Step 10 – After 1 week of treating your baby- leave it in the fridge to rest and mature. After another 2-3 weeks you will have a beautifully nutty, and creamy Ricotta Salata!

There you go!! Your very own cheese! Enjoy it with on a lovely fresh salad , with A  creamy Rosa tomato pasta or combined with Rosemary and Olives for a delicious chicken stuffing.

Hope you enjoy making this cheese as much as I do!

See you ladle

Sanja