Fresh ricotta is a fabulous ingredient to have on hand when you’re baking cakes – we have various old favourites, including our much-loved Ricotta Souffle Cake, on The Coeliac’s Revenge website.
But ricotta can be just as good when you’re after something savoury - as these Ricotta Cakes with Peas and Mint will attest.
The creamy curds of the ricotta are fresh and light and they carry and enhance the additional flavours beautifully.
Bonus point: Ricotta Cakes are in the dead-easy category to make, so in almost no time a few simple ingredients become a brunch, light lunch or supper that super-satisfies all round. Delicious.
The thing is, ricotta makes a very good cake. Be it sweet or savoury.
Jan
RICOTTA CAKES with PEAS AND MINT
Makes about 15
500 gm fresh ricotta
50 gm parmesan, finely grated
1 teaspoon dried mint
1 cup mint leaves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed
2 garlic cloves, crushed
50 gm brown rice flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon fresh harissa or a pinch of chilli flakes
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
130 gm fresh or frozen peas, cooked and refreshed
3 spring onions, sliced
60 ml extra virgin olive oil
Place ricotta, parmesan, dried and fresh mint, fennel seeds, garlic, flour, harissa or chilli flakes, and beaten egg into a bowl. Season and mix to combine.
Fold in peas and spring onion and mix again.
Heat a large non-stick frypan to medium high and pour in 30ml of olive oil. Place 5 non-stick egg rings in the pan.
When the oil is bubbling, add about 2 tablespoons of ricotta mixture to each ring, using a metal spatula to compress and shape it into cakes.
Turn the heat down a little and cook for about 4 minutes, until nicely golden and crisp. Turn each cake with an egg flip, a thin, flexible silicon one is ideal, and cook for a further 3 minutes or so.
Remove the ricotta cakes from the pan and return the egg rings to the frypan, adding more olive oil as necessary to cook the remainder.
Keep the cooked cakes in a warm oven until ready to serve with a splash of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and a green salad.