Herb-green Ricotta Pate With Sweet-pepper Sauce

Total Time: 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 lb fresh ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh cream
• 1/2 cup parsley, roughly snipped, measure generously
• 2 -3 tablespoons pesto sauce (fresh or a good deli pesto)
• 1 cup pecorino cheese, roughly grated (or use any sharp hard cheese)
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest, finely grated (i used a green lemon)
• 2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon tabasco sauce (i used the chipotle tabasco)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt, sea salt flakes
• 5 teaspoons gelatin, granules
• 1/4 cup chicken broth (or stock made with granules)
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup pecan halves or 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1 medium tomato, fully ripe, peeled and chopped
• 3 tablespoons red bell peppers, charred, peeled, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon tabasco sauce (or more, to taste)
• 1 pinch salt

Recipe

• 1 have the ingredients at hand, and snip the parsley with scissors. when you measure it, press it into the cup lightly.
• 2 put all the ingredients up to and including the tabasco in your processor. process until smooth and pale green. you may have to scrape down the sides a couple of times.
• 3 leave the puree, and mix the broth/stock and lemon juice in a small pot. sprinkle over the gelatine, and stir over medium heat until the gelatine dissolves. do not cook!
• 4 cool to warm or luke-warm, then start the processor and pour in the gelatine. puree well. taste at this stage: ricotta is so fresh that i found it did need the extra salt.
• 5 oil a suitable small pie plate or small molds, and scrape in the puree. neaten the top, decorate with the nut halves, cover with plastic wrap, and chill at least 6 hours or overnight.
• 6 for the sauce: i used chopped peppadews/piquante peppers, which come in a very tasty pickling liquid and needs no extra seasoning. so if using red bell peppers, spike it with a little hot sauce. you can even use a little vinaigrette dressing. puree everything with a pinch of salt until a smooth sauce forms, about ¾ cup or 200 ml.
• 7 or puree a store-bought salsa!
• 8 this will be great if served as a light lunch with well-chilled sauvignon blanc.