Did you know you could make cheese with your Thermomix®? It’s delicious, preservative-free, and easier than you might think.
Amanda Chia from MasterChef Singapore shows us how to make 2 Italian dishes featuring the most creamy and velvety Ricotta made from scratch! Bring the authentic tastes of Italy to your dining table with these dishes
On the Menu:
Tomato Carpaccio with Ricotta dressed with Balsamic Reduction
Ricotta dumplings and Summer Vegetable Medley with Tomato Sauce
About Amanda Chia
Only 23 years old, Amanda’s passion for food has taken her on a journey of discovery and learning that has seen her gain high-level cooking experience through internships at Lolla, a Michelin Guide restaurant, Nudedles pop-up, a popular pasta hawker, and an exchange program in Italy where she learned to make pasta from Italian nuns.
Outside of the kitchen, Amanda is a legal trainee at a small law firm, and also dedicates her time to volunteering, tutoring, and participating in various charitable activities, including Meals on Wheels and Youth Corps. She just launched her sandwich venture PÁAN with her boyfriend Alex, ex chef of Ritz Calton.
Homemade Ricotta
Ingredients:
- Whole milk 2 liters
- Lemon juice 80g
- Salt As needed
Preparation :
- Place the milk in the TM bowl. Heat 15 min/98 degrees/Speed 2.
- Add the lemon juice to the TM bowl. Leave to sit in mixing bowl for a few minutes. The milk will separate into curds and whey
- Line the simmering basket with cheesecloth or muslin cloth and scoop the ricotta into the simmering basket
- Allow the ricotta to drain for 5 -10 minutes
- The ricotta can be used immediately or stored in the fridge for up to a week
- Keep some of the whey aside (for the ricotta dumplings)
Tips :
- For a softer ricotta, reduce draining time. For a firmer ricotta, increase draining time.
- You can use ricotta in cakes, sweet or savoury tarts, or as a spread on toast with your favourite toppings.
- You can store homemade ricotta in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Tomato Carpaccio with Ricotta dressed with Balsamic Reduction
Ingredients:
- Heirloom Tomato 1 color each
- Salt Pinch
- Pepper Pinch
- Balsamic vinegar 230g
- Honey/Maple syrup 30g
Preparation
- Weight out balsamic and honey/maple syrup and heat at 15min/Varoma/Speed 1
- Slice tomatoes into thin slices and salt to draw out excess moisture and concentrate flavour, leave it salted for 15 min, and pat dry after.
- Add in the ready made ricotta cheese and drizzle the balsamic reduction over the tomatoes
Ricotta dumplings and Summer Vegetable Medley with Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
- Broccolini 1 Bunch
- Mixed carrot 1 Bunch
- Butter 20g
- Salt & Pepper as needed
- Cherry Tomatoes 250g
- Garlic 4 – 5 cloves
- Basil Stems
- Ricotta 480g
- Parmesan 240g
- Egg 1
- Salt 8g
- Plain Flour 60g
- Some whey (approx 100g) for use if the dough is too dry
Preparation
- Prepare the vegetables for blanching by cleaning them and cutting them to the desired size. Boil salted water in a clean TM bowl using kettle mode. Using egg boiler mode, blanch the vegetables for around 2 minutes or on soft boil setting. Remove the vegetables and place them into an ice bath straightaway
- To make the tomato sauce, add halved tomatoes and olive oil in a bowl and heat 25min/110°C/Speed 2. Add garlic halfway and basil stems during the last 5 minutes
- In a clean bowl, add in the ready-made ricotta, parmesan, salt, flour, and egg. Mix at 2 min/ speed 2 till desired consistency. Add whey from ricotta into the mixture if the dough is too dry. Shape dumplings in a floured tray
- Boil the water using Kettle mode. Set to Egg Boiler mode, medium setting, add the dumplings from the lid hole. Remove the dumplings once they are floating (approx 2-3min) and doubled in size, and transfer onto a frying pan to sear both sides of the dumplings.
- Toss the vegetables and butter. Plate up with the dumplings