RICOTTA FRITTERS WITH RICOTTA ICE-CREAM & CITRUS

Serves 4

“We get beautiful fresh ricotta from a local cheesemaker. Its sweet milky flavour and soft curds are transformed into fritters and with an ice-cream of such depth and creaminess, it is hard to resist. The citrus compote adds the sparkle of acid to keep the freshness.” Catherine

You will need to begin this recipe the day before.

RICOTTA ICE-CREAM

275 g (9¾ oz) pouring (single) cream (35% fat content)

½ vanilla bean, split & seeds scraped

finely grated zest of 1 lemon

5 egg yolks

180 g (6 1 / 3 oz) caster (superfine) sugar

¼ teaspoon table salt

250 g (9 oz) fresh ricotta

110 g (3¾ oz) double (thick) cream (55% fat content)

50 g (1¾ oz) mixed candied peel

Heat the cream, vanilla bean and seeds and lemon zest in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat until hot. Remove from the heat, cover and set aside for 2 hours to infuse. Uncover and heat over medium heat until hot.

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and salt in a bowl until pale, then, while whisking continuously, gradually add the hot cream mixture. Return to a clean pan over medium heat and cook, stirring, for 6–8 minutes or until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Strain into a bowl sitting over ice and cool.

Place the ricotta and cream in a food processor and pulse to just combine. Stir into the cooled custard, place in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, freeze the ice-cream in an icecream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions — just before it’s finished churning, add the candied peel. Transfer to a container and freeze for about 4 hours or until firm enough to scoop. Makes 750 ml (26 fl oz).

RICOTTA FRITTER BATTER

250 g (9 oz) fresh ricotta

40 g (1½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour

7 g (¼ oz) baking powder

pinch of table salt

2 eggs

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

finely grated zest of 1 lemon

½ teaspoon brandy

If the ricotta has a lot of moisture in it, place it in a sieve sitting over a bowl and refrigerate for a few hours to drain. To speed up the draining process, cover the ricotta with a piece of plastic wrap and place something heavy on top of it. Discard the liquid.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together into a small bowl.

Place the ricotta, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon zest and brandy in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk for 3–5 minutes or until combined. Fold in the flour with a whisk attachment and whisk for 3–5 minutes or until combined. Fold in the flour mixture until just combined. Transfer to a clean bowl, cover and refrigerate until needed or for up to 6 hours.

CITRUS SALAD

165 g (5¾ oz) caster (superfine) sugar

4 cumquats, unpeeled, sliced into 5 mm (¼ inch) thick slices, seeds removed

2 teaspoons lemon juice

½ cinnamon quill, lightly toasted

60 g (2 oz) orange juice

½ teaspoon orange blossom water

2 oranges

2 mandarins

2 blood oranges

2 mint leaves, finely chopped

Combine 110 g (3¾ oz) of the sugar and 125 g (4 oz) of water in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, add the cumquat slices, reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the cumquat is translucent and the syrup has thickened. Remove from the heat and cool.

Combine the remaining sugar, the lemon juice, cinnamon quill and 40 g (1½ oz) of water in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved, then increase the heat and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and cool. Add the orange juice and orange blossom water and remove the cinnamon quill. Peel and segment the oranges, mandarins and blood oranges. Combine the citrus segments, mint, cumquat slices and 2 tablespoons of cumquat syrup, and the orange syrup in a bowl and mix to coat. Set aside until ready to serve.

TO SERVE

vegetable oil, for deep-frying

icing (confectioner’s) sugar, for dusting

Heat 5 cm (2 inches) of the oil in a heavy-based pan over medium heat to 170°C (325°F/Gas 3). To test if the oil is hot enough, drop 1 teaspoon of ricotta fritter batter into the oil; the oil should bubble vigorously around the batter and the batter should puff up. Carefully drop 1-heaped-teaspoon amounts of batter into the oil. Cook the fritters, 3–4 at a time, turning with a slotted spoon, for 20–30 seconds or until golden all over. Drain on paper towel.

Dust the fritters with the icing sugar. Divide the citrus salad between bowls, top with a scoop of ricotta ice-cream and serve the warm fritters on the side.