Ricotta is readily available in Morocco, thanks in part to Morocco's proximity to Italy, and also to the growing interest of Moroccan home cooks to learn other cuisines and experiment in the kitchen. I learned to make homemade ricotta on a day when I wanted it for use in another recipe, but didn't feel inclined to run out to the store. It's simple and easy to do with ingredients you're likely to have on hand.
Use the cheese in any recipe which calls for ricotta, such as these Cheese and Olive Puff Pastries, or as a substitute for cream cheese or fresh cheese in Cheese Briouats, Caramelized Onion Quiche, Moroccan Omelet with Veggies and Cream Cheese or Moroccan Puff Pastry Strata.
Note that you'll need cheesecloth and a sieve to strain the cheese.
Also try making Jben, the Moroccan version of fresh cheese.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total resting time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 1 1/2 cups ricotta
Ingredients:
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream or creme fraiche
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice
Preparation:
Combine the milk, cream and salt in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil then immediately remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and leave the mixture to curdle for 10 minutes.
Line a sieve or colander with cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Pour the curdled mixture into the sieve and leave the whey to strain for 20 to 30 minutes. The longer you allow the cheese to strain, the thicker and dryer the cheese will become.
Discard the whey or save it to use as your liquid when baking bread and other doughs, such as Whey Pizza and Calzone Dough.
You can use the ricotta immediately, but it's best to transfer it to a covered container and leave it to rest overnight in the fridge.
