Ricotta Fritters, A Savory Tale of Sweetness

“The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.” ~ Willie Nelson

I apologize for apparently having fallen off the edge of the Earth for the past month or so. I returned from the Alsace Wine Festival and jumped directly into an overloaded frying pan that included an intense business trip to Japan checking out wagyu farms and a full-on company rebranding. As a consequence, I have had little time to think, let alone write so I am sharing two quick ricotta fritter recipes that are easy to make and taste amazing.The impetus came when a former pastry chef called asking for a recipe we developed together for perfect billowy white ricotta fritters filled with candied orange and molten chocolate chunks. At the time, I was buying the most amazing ricotta direct from Italy and it founds its way into a multitude of dishes, these are two of my favorites.Here are three more ricotta recipe ideas for you to try!Zucchini Blossom recipeChicken and Ricotta MeatballsAsparagus Soup[gallery ids="8076,6492,1891"]Give these two recipes a try and share your results with us at #PistouAndPastis

Savory Prosciutto and Ricotta Fritters

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Savory Ricotta Fritters

Melt in your mouth creamy ricotta fritters in a tomato basil sauce

Ricotta Fritters

• 8 ounces whole milk ricotta
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 egg
• pinch nutmeg
• pinch black pepper
• pinch espelette pepper
• 1 ounce grated Parmesan
• 4 basil leaves (chopped)
• 1 slice prosciutto (chopped)

Tomato Sauce

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 sweet onion (chopped)
• 2 cloves garlic (mashed)
• 28 ounce whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
• ½ cup basil leaves (chopped)
• 1 pinch sugar
• salt and pepper (to taste)

Ricotta Fritters

1. Mix ricotta, flour, egg, nutmeg, black pepper, espelette pepper, Parmesan, basil leaves and prosciutto, Let sit while you make your tomato sauce.

Tomato Sauce

1. Cook onion and garlic in olive oil till softened and translucent, but with no color.

2. Pour San Marzano tomatoes into a bowl and squeeze with your hands till the tomatoes pop, then add to onions.

3. Add remaining sauce ingredients, then simmer for thirty minutes, stirring often.

4. Puree the tomatoes in a food mill. If you do not have one, then put everything into a blender and pulse on low speed, Be careful, when you blend hot ingredients they expand and can cause the top to fly off. I usually cover my blender with a kitchen towel and start the blender slowly.  You want it to be smooth but not pureed completely. The problem with blenders is they aerate things which will give your sauce an orange creamy color and change the mouthfeel somewhat.

Finishing the ricotta fritters

1. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large non-stick saute pan. Drop tablespoons of ricotta fritter batter into the oil and cook till golden brown.

2. Use a soup spoon to flip fritters over and brown on all sides.

3. Spoon tomato sauce onto warmed plates and top with fritters.

Try using different ingredients instead of prosciutto and basil to flavor your fritters or pipe this mixture into zucchini blossoms and bake in an oven. Experiment, have fun.

Sweet Chocolate Ricotta Fritters

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Sweet Ricotta Fritters

Feather-light chocolate ricotta fritters that will put a smile on your face

Ricotta Fritters

• 8 ounces whole milk ricotta
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon dark rum
• 1.5 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons chocolate chips
• 1/2 orange zested

Ricotta Fritter batter

1. Mix ricotta, egg yolks, rum, sugar, flour, and baking powder together in a bowl.

2. Beat egg whites in a stand mixer (or by hand) till medium peaks. Add sugar and continue beating on high speed for thirty seconds, or until firmer peaks and glossy. Delicately fold into ricotta mixture.

3. Fold in chocolate chips and orange zest.

Cooking the fritters

1. Heat two quarts of vegetable oil to 350 degrees in a large stockpot.
2. Drop tablespoons of ricotta mixture into the pot and cook till golden brown, about two minutes.
3. Use a slotted spoon to remove fritters and drain on paper towels.
4. Dust heavily with powdered sugar and eat immediately.

Mix into the basic mixture whatever flavoring you like. Pine nuts would be a welcomed addition.