Ricotta with Thyme, Olive Oil & Grilled Bread

Last week, while packing away a few cookbooks, an old newspaper clipping tucked between two books slipped off the shelf and swooped into my lap, opening as it landed to reveal a photograph of a mouth-watering spread: a bowl filled with herb-and-olive oil topped ricotta, a few slices of grilled bread, and a handful of halved black mission figs.

A quick glance through the article led me to discover that this appetizer, described as “stupid simple” by the chef of A Voce at the time (2008) was the most popular appetizer on the menu.

With the task at hand long forgotten — I’ve always been a hopeless packer — I made my way to the kitchen, hoping to find cheesecloth and heavy cream, making ricotta the order of the hour. And thirty minutes later, the stupid simple appetizer had materialized: creamy curds seasoned with sea salt, fresh thyme, dried oregano, and a drizzling of olive oil.

Now, I know the last thing many of you need is yet another reminder of the delicacy that is fresh ricotta, but, as recipes don’t just fall into my lap every day, I’m going to take the risk of boring some of you hoping that many of you might appreciate a little refresher. I certainly did.

You see, I had forgotten how well fresh ricotta pairs with grilled bread — there’s something about the combination of cool and creamy with smoky and charred. And I had forgotten how much flavor a halved clove of garlic imparts when gently rubbed across the surface of slices of toasty bread. And I had never thought to season ricotta with fresh thyme, always favoring basil or chives or other more obvious summer herbs. And I never thought that fresh ricotta could benefit from the addition of more fat: a drizzling of olive oil.

But, all of these little embellishments go a long way, and if you’ve never tried any of them or haven’t yet tried making homemade ricotta, ’tis the season. Fire up your grill; pull out the cheesecloth; pick some herbs — stupid simple will never taste so good.

Ricotta Crostini With Fresh Thyme and Dried Oregano

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★★★★★

5 from 1 review

• Author: Alexandra Stafford
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings

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Description

Adapted from A Voce via The New York Times

Notes: Use this recipe as a guide. I had made fresh ricotta and so did not use any milk, so based on the texture of the ricotta you make or buy, use your judgement re using milk — you might not need any either. Also, I loved the flavor of the fresh thyme, but use whatever herbs you like best or have on hand.

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Ingredients

• About 8 slices (about 3/4-inch thick) crusty bread
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Kosher or table salt, to taste
• 2 cups fresh ricotta, recipe below
• 1 cup whole milk (optional, see note above; I don’t use milk because homemade ricotta is so creamy on its own)
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, such as Maldon
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or other herbs
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or less — a sprinkling goes a long way)
• 2 large garlic cloves, halved

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Instructions

1. Heat a grill or broiler to very hot. If bread slices are very large, cut in half or thirds. Brush bread slices on both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with table or kosher salt.
2. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a bowl, whisk ricotta and milk (if using) together until light and fluffy. Season with salt to taste and mix well. Transfer to a shallow serving bowl and sprinkle with sea salt, pepper, thyme and oregano. Drizzle more olive oil on top, about a tablespoon or so.
3. Grill or broil the bread until toasted all over and lightly charred in places. Lightly rub each slice on one side with the cut side of a garlic clove. Serve hot, with ricotta mixture on the side.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American, Italian

Keywords: homemade, ricotta, whipped, olive oil, herbs, thyme, appetizer

Homemade Ricotta

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★★★★★

4.3 from 3 reviews

• Author: Alexandra Stafford
• Total Time: 27 minutes
• Yield: 2 cups

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Description

Source: The Barefoot Contessa via Goop

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Ingredients

• 4 cups whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons good white wine vinegar

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Instructions

1. Set a large fine-mesh sieve over a deep bowl. Dampen 2 layers of cheesecloth with water and line the sieve with the cheesecloth.
2. Pour the milk and cream into a stainless steel or enameled pot. Stir in the salt. Bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar. Allow the mixture to stand for 1 minute until it curdles. It will separate into thick parts (the curds) and milky parts (the whey).
3. Pour the mixture into a cheesecloth-lined sieve and allow it to drain into the bowl at room temperature for 20 to 25 minutes, occasionally discarding the liquid that collects in the bowl. The longer you let the mixture drain, the thicker the ricotta. Transfer the ricotta to a bowl, discarding the cheesecloth. Save the whey — you can make bread with it. Use the ricotta immediately or transfer to a storage vessel, and refrigerate. The ricotta will keep refrigerated for 4 to 5 days.

• Prep Time: 2 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Category: Cheese
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American/Italian

Keywords: homemade, ricotta