Fresh Ricotta Recipe

How to make it

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• Pour the milk, cream and salt into a 3-quart nonreactive saucepan.
• Attach a candy or deep-fry thermometer.
• Heat the milk to 190°F, stirring it occasionally to keep it from scorching on the bottom.
• Turn off the heat [Updated] Remove from heat and add the lemon juice, then stir it once or twice, gently and slowly.
• Let the pot sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.
• Line a colander with a few layers of cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl (to catch the whey).
• Pour the curds and whey into the colander and let the curds strain for at least an hour.
• At an hour, you’ll have a tender, spreadable ricotta. At two hours, it will be spreadable but a bit firmer, almost like cream cheese. (It will firm as it cools, so do not judge its final texture by what you have in your cheesecloth.)
• Discard the whey, or, if you’re one of those crafty people who use it for other things, of course, save it.
• Eat the ricotta right away or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Serve: On 1/2-inch slices of baguette that have been run under the broiler until lightly bronzed.
• Serve it simply [as shown in the top photo, left to right] with honey and a pinch of flaky sea salt, a couple grinds of black pepper, pinch of salt and drizzle of olive oil, and/or a few droplets of an aged balsamic.