Today we're going to make ricotta cheese and we're going to use it to make a delicious toast: pear, ricotta and honey toast, a dish that will be both a great breakfast, a perfect snack, or a light and tasty dinner.
We can make the ricotta with whole milk, which is how we did it, but you can also make it with semi-skimmed milk so it sets a bit more and is less fatty, or even with soy milk as a plant-based alternative. The machine we use today, the Ariete, has a program for making plant milks that opens up a world of possibilities.
The process to make ricotta is very simple. You just need to curdle the milk, and we do that with citric acid which you can find at herbal shops, or by using lemon juice.
The combination with pear is delightful — I highly recommend it. Making cheese at home becomes a very healthy hobby; I encourage you to explore and learn about all the possibilities.
Ingredients
- 2 liters of whole milk
- 1 cc of citric acid or freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Seeded bread toast
- 1 pear
- A drizzle of honey
- A few sprigs of thyme
Preparation
- The process to prepare ricotta is very simple. You just need to put the milk into the Ariete cheese and yogurt machine. Cover the machine with the lid and choose the quick cheese program (the second program).
- Wait for the milk to reach 80ºC, and when it reaches this temperature, add a teaspoon of citric acid mixed with a teaspoon of water. If you don't have citric acid you can add a splash of lemon.
- When the machine notifies you with an upward arrow, it means it's time to drain our cheese.Lift the inner basket and let it rest until the machine indicates it's done.
- Once you have your ricotta ready, place it in an airtight jar to store in the fridge.
- We want to use the ricotta to make a pear toast, so take a pear with clean skin and slice it thinly, trying to preserve the pear's shape as much as possible.
- Now all that's left is to plate.You can toast the bread (we recommend it, since the toasted flavor goes better with the pear and cheese) or leave it untoasted. Take the pear and place 2 pear slices on top of each slice of bread. With the help of two tablespoons, form small balls of ricotta and place them on top of each pear slice.
- To finish, add a drizzle of honey over the toasts and to give a little color, sprinkle a bit of thyme over the ricotta. Andthere you have it!
Ariete cheese and yogurt machine
NOTES:
- We suggest using the ricotta on this pear toast, but in fig season it's also an option you should indulge in, because a ricotta and fig toast will delight you. You can also pair it with peach (canned peaches in syrup work when fresh peaches are out of season).
- Use ricotta to fill crepes too! Instead of a toast, you can make a ricotta and pear crepe, or a simple ricotta and honey crepe... or ricotta and mushrooms or whatever you like best. Making crepes at home is also very easy, fun and delicious. If you're looking for your ideal crepe maker I encourage you to look for yours here.
- The Ariete cheese and yogurt machine is a discovery: I love it for its versatility when making all kinds of cheeses, even vegan cheeses! And its large capacity allows you to make small amounts or up to 2L to have cheese and yogurt in abundance!
Comments
Fatima said:
Hola, tenéis vídeo del queso fresco? Programa 1. Gracias
Mercedes said:
José, el suero tiene muchas aplicaciones y es un pecado tirarlo. Lo puedes utilizar para añadir a la masa del bizcocho, magdalenas, pizza,…. también a la masa del pan en vez de agua o para hacer crema de verduras. Mételo máximo una semana en la nevera o congélalo si no vas a utilizarlo aún.
Carmen said:
José, con el suero resultante se prepara la verdadera ricotta, añadiendo más de leche, sal y zumo de limón. El resultado es una ricotta cremosa y sin grumos. Lo que han preparado en la receta de arriba es queso fresco.
Un saludo
José said:
Hola.
¿Qué se puede hacer con el suero resultante tras separar el queso?
Gracias.