Fresh Ricotta with Peach, Nectarine and Tomato Salad - Chef Recipe by Ben Devlin

Ingredients

Fresh ricotta:

1L full cream milk
200g pure cream
250mL buttermilk
10g salt
40g lemon juice

Salad:

1 peach
1 nectarine
1 tomato
1 sprig basil
Macadamia oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Fresh ricotta:

Warm milk, cream and salt to about 60 C, make sure to mix well.

Combine lemon juice and buttermilk in small jug.

Remove milk from stove and stir to create a strong current in the pot.

Pour buttermilk mixture into pot against the current so it combines well, being careful not to stir too much as it will create very small, fine and dry cheese curds.

Place pot back on heat to warm, do not stir or allow to boil, just warm until it separates around the edge.

Cover and remove from heat. Allow to rest for 30 minutes.

Line a wide round strainer with muslin cloth or a tea towel, place in a large bowl and ladle cheese curds out carefully onto the strainer.

Pour all the remaining whey from the pot through the strainer, being careful not to damage the curds in there.

When most of the whey has separated, remove ricotta from strainer. Stir gently to combine and season it.

Salad:

Thinly slice nectarine, peach and tomato, wash and pick basil leaves.

Spread fresh ricotta on the base of a serving plate.

Scatter slices of tomato and nectarine across ricotta, season with a little macadamia oil, salt, pepper and basil leaves.

Chef’s note:

This recipe also works nicely with prosciutto, or smoked salmon.

Recipe provided by Pipit