Fresh Ricotta Dumplings

I taught how to make ricotta as part of my Spring Series 2023 Cookery Demo as it’s surprisingly simple and tastes so much fresher than the shop-bought version.

If you like, just make the ricotta as per below, then eat it on toast with some greens fried in garlic and olive oil. Or once drained, roll your ricotta into these little dumplings for eating in the miso and white wine broth, as I did, back in Spring. Either way, it’s completely delicious!

Makes enough to serve 4-6 people

Takes 30 minutes

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2 litres whole milk

3 tsp sea salt flakes

150ml lemon juice or apple cider vinegar (if using the lemon, zest in too)

Heat the milk and salt in a large, deep pan on medium heat. Stir the salt to dissolve it. Just before the milk comes to the boil, (lots of small bubbles will dance on the surface), pour in the lemon juice and stir with a wooden spoon. Small lumps of curd will start to rise to the surface.

Using the wooden spoon, push the curds to one side to allow for more curds to rise from the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for 20 minutes. Place a layer of cheesecloth in a sieve placed over a bowl. Carefully pour over the milk, so that the curds can be captured in the cheesecloth. Allow the curds to drain for 20 minutes, then bring the cloth together and tie in a knot at the top.

Allow the curds to continue draining in the sieve set over a bowl for 2, up to 24 hours in the fridge. The longer you leave it to drain, the firmer the ricotta will be.

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Pea and Asparagus Broth with Ricotta Dumplings

Serves 2

Takes 20 minutes

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Broth

3 radishes

35g butter

1 leek, washed and finely sliced

1 garlic clove, smashed and finely sliced

1 tsp thyme leaves

Sea salt flakes

1 tbsp white miso

100ml white wine

Small bunch asparagus

Handful frozen peas

Small handful wild garlic, washed

Good quality extra virgin olive oil to serve

Dumplings

125g ricotta

25g breadcrumbs (shop-bought panko are great)

4 tbsp finely chopped wild garlic

Zest of 1/4 lemon

First, slice the radishes as finely as you can then set aside in a bowl of cold water. Heat the butter in a large pan, add the leek, garlic, thyme and a good pinch of salt then gently saute for 10 - 12 minutes, ensuring you don’t burn the garlic. (You’re not looking for colour on the leeks). Add the miso, then using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir in the miso to help it dissolve. Splash in a little of the wine to further help dissolve the miso, then the remaining wine and 400ml water. Simmer for 8 minutes or so to cook out the wine.

Meanwhile, make the dumplings by stirring together the ricotta, breadcrumbs, wild garlic, lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Roll into little dumplings. When ready to serve, slice up the asparagus then add to the pan along with the peas and dumplings. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then stir in the wild garlic until wilted. Taste for seasoning, you might want to add salt or a squeeze of lemon.

Serve up between 2 bowls, topped with the radish and a drizzle of olive oil.

(Top right dumpling broth photo stolen from Emily Hogarth).