fresh ricotta with fig, pepperberry & verjus dressing
8-10
Modern Australian
appetisers
Steve Harry shares Suze's incredible ricotta dish, which he says is "a love letter to olive oil". Pair with Steve's freshly baked focaccia for a chic starter at your next dinner party.
Ingredients
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1,800g high-quality full cream milk (Gippsland Jersey, St David Dairy or Schulz Organic Dairy are excellent choices)
300g cream
5g Mount Zero Pink Lake Salt
80g white vinegar
2 bay leaves
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200g dried figs, diced
20g dried pepperberries, crushed
600g Mount Zero Chardonnay Verjus
800g Mount Zero Frantoio Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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½ persimmon, plum or peach, core removed and thinly sliced
Directions
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In a large pot, slowly bring the milk, cream, salt and bay leaves to 85°C.
- Add the vinegar, stirring gently until curds begin to form. Stop stirring immediately.
- Let the mixture sit undisturbed until it reaches room temperature or is just warm.
- Gently scoop the curds into a colander, keeping them as large as possible, and allow to drain. The longer you drain, the firmer the ricotta will be.
Reserve the whey for other uses, such as in the veggie garden as a fertiliser (dilute with water at a 1:1 ratio first!)
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Combine the figs and pepperberry in a bowl and pour over the verjuice.
- Allow to hydrate for a couple of hours.
- Stir in the olive oil to finish.
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Spoon the ricotta onto a plate or into a shallow bowl, flatten lightly and season with flaked salt.
Arrange the thin slices of persimmon, plum or peach over the top.
- Drizzle generously with the fig and pepperberry dressing.
Serve alongside a big chunk of sourdough bread or focaccia.