Fresh Ricotta Cakes with Strawberry, Vanilla, and Rosemary Compote
Light and fluffy ricotta cakes are the perfect anytime treat! Especially when made with vanilla and rosemary flavours and delicious strawberry compote to pour on top!
There is nothing better than waking up on the weekend to the aroma of freshly made, deliciously light and creamy ‘cake’. My fondest memory as a child was tip-toeing down the stairs in the morning, still sleepy-eyed, and waking up instantly when I saw my mum making these fragrant bites.
Since I have a savoury dessert devouring husband 😀 I needed to step up my dessert game. These fresh ricotta cakes with strawberry, vanilla, and rosemary compote are super light and fluffy and packed with incredible flavour. And when you pour on the delicious compote, I promise there won’t be a single crumb left on your plate!
In this beautiful recipe from Hyatt’s Chef’s Table, executed by Chef Arvind and his amazing team at Whitecaps International School of Pastry, the soft moist texture and mildly sweet flavour of the ricotta is offset by the peppery arugula, the slightly acidic honeyed strawberries, and the unmistakably pungent flavour of fresh rosemary. This one’s dedicated to all the savoury fans out there for when sweet desserts just won’t cut it. I’ll warn you ~ these gluten-free, fluffy golden cakes are addictive! #hyattchefstable #hyattkitchenheroes #hyattmadeinindia
Ingredients:
Fresh Ricotta
- 3½ cups cream
- 12/3 cups milk
- ½ lime, juiced
Ricotta Cakes
- 1¼ cups Parmesan cheese, grated
- 3½ tsp fresh red chillies, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh chives, diced
- 1/3 cup seedless raisins
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2¾ cups fresh breadcrumbs
- ¾ cup clarified butter
Compote
- 4 tsp honey
- 1” stick cinnamon
- ¼ pod fresh vanilla
- 350 gm strawberries, halved
- ½ cup rum
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Garnish
- 1 cup arugula or rocket leaves
- 2½ tsp lime oil
Method
Fresh Ricotta
- Mix cream and milk in a non-stick saucepan and bring to boil.
- Add a few drops of lime juice and wait until the milk curdles.
- Separate the milk curds from the liquid whey by straining through the muslin.
- Discard the liquid and leave the cheese curds in the saucepan.
- Lightly cover with muslin and set aside for four hours.
Ricotta Cakes
- In a mixing bowl, mix the fresh ricotta curds with the Parmesan cheese, de-seeded red chillies, chives, raisins, pepper, and salt.
- Shape into twelve round cakes and coat with fresh breadcrumbs.
- Refrigerate until set.
- Pour the clarified butter into a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and cook the ricotta cakes evenly, until golden.
Compote
- Pour honey into a pan and cook over low heat for three minutes until caramelised.
- Scrape the seeds of the vanilla pod and add to the honey.
- Add the strawberries and cinnamon and cook for 5 minutes or until the strawberries soften.
- Flambé the compote by adding rum and igniting over high heat.
- Add rosemary and stir.
- Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
To Serve
- Spoon the compote on a plate and place the ricotta cakes on top.
- Garnish with arugula leaves mixed with lime oil.
By definition, dessert is just an “ending to a meal” ~ so finishing on a savoury note is perfectly acceptable!
Recreating the recipe: Buckwheat Crêpes with Ratatouille and Goat Cheese