Heirloom tomato, pickled fennel and salted ricotta salad

Salted ricotta is a salted and pressed firm ricotta that lends a sharper cheese flavour than its creamier and softer counterpart. It's firm enough to grate or slice with a knife and is a wonderful addition to salads.

Heirloom tomato, pickled fennel and salted ricotta salad Credit: Kitti Gould

• serves

  6

• prep

  5 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Stream free On Demand

Cooking With Colour

Watch The Full Episode Here

G

Watch The Full Episode Here

G

Ingredients

• 16 mixed heirloom tomatoes
• olive oil, for drizzling
• salt and black pepper
• 200 g salted ricotta

Pickled fennel

• 2 small fennel bulbs, fronds attached
• 6 tbsp raw sugar
• 2 tbsp fine salt
• 2 cups (500 ml) white wine vinegar
• 2 bay leaves
• 12 coriander seeds (optional)

Marinating time: 2 hours minimum

Instructions

1. Thinly slice the fennel. Reserve the fronds for garnish. Place into a medium heatproof bowl.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, salt, vinegar, bay leaves and coriander seeds. Bring to the boil, then pour the pickle brine over the fennel. Allow to cool, then cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours.
3. Roughly chop the tomatoes by cutting the tomato cheeks off at different angles, then place into a large salad bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and toss to combine.
4. Using a knife, thinly shave the salted ricotta. Drain the pickled fennel and add to the tomatoes with the shaved ricotta. Season with salt and pepper, then toss to combine.
5. Garnish the salad with extra shaved ricotta and the reserved fennel fronds.

 

Photography by Kitti Gould.

Want more from The Cook Up?

• Stream free here at SBS On Demand.

• Get the show recipes, articles and more here.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Cooking With Colour

Watch The Full Episode Here

G

Watch The Full Episode Here

G