Ricotta Verrine
The Ricotta is like a white canvas… it allows you to have fun and be creative.
I was looking for something special; a cute little dessert that would put the final notes to a rich meal… Since living in Miami, my dreams involve autumn leaf colors, cold weather and sweaters. I tried to capture it all in a new Ricotta Orange Pistachio & Honey Verrine. The secret? A delicate pinch of ground cardamom that brings some magic to this vibrant and deliciously easy dessert.
The fresh Ricotta is surprisingly easy to make and so good that you won’t use the store-bought version ever again.
The verrines can be as small or big as yo want. I am not a fan of huge desserts, this is why I always pick the smallest containers.
The ricotta is really easy to prepare and versatile; leftovers can make delicious savory tartines the next day!
Bon appétit!
Ricotta Verrine with Orange, Pistachio & Honey
Recipe credits: Rafaella Sargi
Ingredients
3 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 ½ Tablespoon distilled white vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
2 blood oranges
1 pink grapefruit
1/3 cup roasted Pistachio, halved
Ground Cardamom
Honey
Directions
Prep all the ingredients.
You will need one medium pot and one mesh strainer lined with multiple layers of cheese cloth.
Put all the ingredients in a pot over medium heat. Let the mixture heat slowly whisking just a couple of times. When the milk starts to simmer, the “cheese” curds will begin to form. Count 3 minutes and remove from the heat.
Pour the curds and whey in the mesh strainer (lined with cheese cloth) and let it drain for 20 minutes. Assemble the cheese cloth extremities to form a pouch and gently squeeze the excess liquid from the ricotta. Transfer the ricotta to a serving dish.
You’re homemade ricotta is now ready!
Making pretty orange and grapefruit segments: With a sharp knife, chop off the top and base of an orange. Place the orange steadily on the board and cut the peel off, making sure to remove all traces of pith and cutting through the outer membranes to expose the flesh. Hold the orange over a bowl to catch any juices while doing the next step. Segment the oranges by cutting between the visible membranes. Remove the seeds and place the segments in the bowl. Repeat with the remaining orange and grapefruit.
Building the verrines: Depending on the size of the serving dishes, put 1 generous spoonful of freshly homemade ricotta, add a small pinch of ground cardamom. Top the seasoned ricotta with a few segments of pink grapefruit and blood orange, pistachio and honey.
Serve immediately.
