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Ricotta
Soft Cheese
Appears in
By Antonio Carluccio and Priscilla Carluccio
Published 1997
As is suggested by its name, meaning literally ‘cooked again’, this cheese is the product of other cheeses using the residue left after the curd has been lifted. Fresh milk is added to this residue to give a higher yield and then the mixture is brought to the boil. An acidic agent like lemon juice or rennet is then added, and when casein froth forms on the surface it is scooped off and allowed to drain. This froth is the cheese, and there are many types of it made all over Italy.
Ricotta forte: this ricotta from Bari in the province of Puglia is made in the basic way except that salt is added before it is put in wooden containers to cool and dry. Over the next couple of months, the ricotta is moved from one container to another, being worked by hand each time, until all the excess liquid has been forced out. It has a distinctive sharp flavour and is yellow in colour. It is used in a variety of ways, including in calzone mixed with onions.