PREP: 10 minutes COOK: 16 minutes STAND: 1 hour MAKES: 2 cups
½ gal. whole milk
1 cup half-and-half
1 tsp. kosher salt
¼ cup lemon juice
1. Rinse a stainless-steel or enamel Dutch oven with water (this will help keep the milk from scorching). Add first three ingredients (through salt). Clip a candy thermometer to side of pan.
2. Heat over medium-high heat 15 minutes or until mixture reaches 180°F, stirring and scraping bottom of pan with a rubber spatula. Reduce heat to medium-low. Gradually add lemon juice, stirring gently 1 minute or just until curds form (do not stir too much or curds will become rubbery). Remove from heat.
3. Line a colander with three layers of 100%-cotton cheesecloth and set over a large bowl. Drain hot milk mixture through colander. For dryer cheese, continue to drain 15 minutes. Lift edges of cheesecloth and transfer cheese to a bowl; discard liquid. Store cheese, covered, in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
Herbed Fresh Ricotta Cheese: Prepare as directed. Stir in 1 Tbsp. snipped fresh basil; 1 Tbsp. olive oil; 1 tsp. snipped fresh thyme; 1 tsp. snipped fresh oregano; 1 tsp. lemon zest; 2 cloves garlic, minced; and ½ tsp. black pepper.
PER 2 TBSP. CHEESE, PLAIN OR VARIATION: 68 cal., 6 g fat (3 g sat. fat), 17 mg chol., 64 mg sodium, 1 g carb., 0 g fiber, 4 g pro.