I am so excited about this. I know people have been doing this for years, probably, but it is the first time I have ever made my own cheese. It is sooooo easy and so good in this recipe. I will be able to post pictures next week, because I just froze it until our big Easter dinner.
Ricotta Cheese
- 1 gal. whole milk
- 3 cups Buttermilk
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- pinch of salt
Put all the ingredients into a very large pot and bring to the simmer. Stir often to break up the curds as it reaches the simmer. When at the simmer, remove from the heat and pour through cheesecloth over a bowl. Make sure to secure the cheesecloth with a rubber band or tape so it doesn’t cave in. When drained, measure 3 cups out and put into a large bowl. This will make a little more than you need. **
Cheese Cake
- 3 cups of the ricotta cheese
- 6 eggs, separated
- 6 tbsp. sugar
- 1/4 cup flour
- zest from large lemon
Mix the cheese, yolks, sugar, flour and zest together and set aside.
Now take the egg whites and whisk together 6 tbsp. of sugar, 1 tbsp. at a time to ensure incorporated. When soft peaks form, add 1/4 tsp. salt and mix well to combine. Carefully fold into the egg yolk mixture and pour into prepared pan, smoothing the top. But first try this. With a 9 ” pan with removable bottom, turn the bottom inside out to allow for much easier removable when sliced.
Butter, very generously the cake pan. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake for 1 hour until golden. It could be really wiggly when removing, and that is okay. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge. Cool completely.
**I was so scared that it wouldn’t taste right, we cut a sliver from the cake and it is better that you could ever hope for. So delicious and no cream cheese used. The extra can be used any way you wish – cakes, savory dishes, pasta as in lasagne. It is good.
Figure out what kind of topping you wish to put on top when serving and you now have a hit on your hands.
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Citrus And Tea-Glazed Roast Chicken
Tired of turkey and ham for the holidays? Try this, if you are looking for something delicious and different. Serve with mashed potatoes, vegetable or two of your choosing and, of course, a nice crisp side salad. Don’t forget to pour a glass of wine to make a toast with (as if you would – forget that is)….
To make this, start the day ahead with the brine and while you are at it, make the tea glaze as well and you are ahead of the game. You can, if you want to spend as much time with your company, do up the potatoes, cover and refrigerate. Day of, heat in the oven until hot and serve.
Brine
- 4 cups brewed black tea
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 1 lemon, cut in half
- 1 tangerine, cut in half
- 1 tsp. fennel seed
- 8 pink peppercorns
- 1 x 3-4 lb. whole chicken
Place all ingredients in a large pot and bring to the boil over high heat. Stir occasionally to make sure the sugar and salt have dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to completely cool down to room temperature. Add the chicken to the cooled brine, cover and refrigerate overnight. Step 1 – Done.
Tea Glaze
- 1 cup honey
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 2 tbsp. lime juice
In a small sauce pan, bring to a simmer, stirring to ensure sugar has completely dissolved. Cool down, then cover and refrigerate overnight. Step 2 – Done.
Chicken
- 1 large lemon, halved
- 1 orange, halved
- 1 large lime (or two small ones) halved
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the brine. Place chicken on a rack in a roast pan, tucking the wine under. Stuff the cavity with orange, lemon and lime halves.
Secure the legs with twine or skewers and season the skin lightly with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup water to the pan and roast for 35 minutes. Brush the chicken now with the tea glaze. Continue roasting, brushing the tea glaze on every 10 minutes until a meat thermometer reaches 170F. Probably 35-40 minutes more. transfer to a platter and let rest. Bring the pan juices to a hard boil scraping up the bits, if any, and stir until reduced. Drizzle over the chicken.
Slice, serve with mashed potatoes and your vegetables. Does this make you hungry? Enjoy.