Tomato, yarrow and ricotta

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When ingredients are at their peak, simplicity is key – something this beautiful starter from chef Will Devlin proves effortlessly. Slices of tomato are paired with salami and a homemade, fennel-infused ricotta, with the fronds and flowers of the yarrow plant lending an aniseed-like top note. If you can't find yarrow then tarragon makes an excellent substitute, but it's certainly worth taking the time to make your own ricotta – far superior to anything you can buy ready-made.

Image by Food Story Media.

Take a look at Will's other glut-busting recipes here.

First published in 2020

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

  • 4 heritage tomatoes, or 6 if they're small, ideally in a variety of sizes and colours
  • 16 slices of bresaola, or fennel salami
  • flaky sea salt
  • yarrow fronds and flowers, or tarragon leaves and/or fennel fronds, to serve

Ricotta

  • 1l whole milk
  • 50ml of white wine vinegar, or fennel vinegar if you can find it
  • 1 fennel, or a large handful of fennel fronds, roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp sea salt

Method

1
To make the ricotta, place the milk and fennel in a pan and heat until 80°C. Remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for 20 minutes
2
Strain the milk through a fine sieve into a clean pan (discarding the fennel) and gently reheat until warm
3
Add the vinegar to the milk and stir until the solids and whey separate
4
Drain the solids (reserving the whey for another use – it’s great in bread, marinades, to make yoghurt or used in fermenting) and season them with a teaspoon of salt. Transfer the solids to a muslin cloth and hang for at least 30 minutes in the fridge (or overnight for a firmer texture)
5
To serve, transfer the ricotta to a piping bag. Slice the tomatoes and arrange slices of them – along with the salami – on each plate. Pipe or spoon the ricotta on top, then garnish with yarrow (or tarragon or fennel) and a pinch of sea salt

Will is the chef and owner of The Small Holding in Kildown, Kent.

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