Recipe: Homemade Ricotta Cheese (Ina Garten)

HOMEMADE RICOTTA CHEESE



Makes about 2 cups

4 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons good white wine vinegar

Set a fine-mesh sieve over a deep bowl. Dampen 2 layers of cheesecloth with water and line the sieve with the cheesecloth.

Pour the milk and cream into a stainless-steel saucepan. Stir in the salt and bring to a rolling boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar. Allow the mixture to stand for one minute until it curdles. It will separate into a thick part (the curds) and a milky part (the whey).

Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth lined sieve and allow it to drain at room temperature for 20 to 25 minutes, occasionally discarding the liquid that accumulates in the bowl. The longer you let the mixture drain, the thicker the ricotta will be.

Transfer the ricotta to a bowl, discarding the cheesecloth and any remaining whey. Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The ricotta will keep refrigerated for 4 to 5 days.

Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Clarkson Potter
Adapted from source: Cooking for Jeffrey: a Barefoot Contessa cookbook by Ina Garten