Primo sale is a fresh Italian cheese, sometimes aged for a few weeks, sometimes resembling ricotta or cottage cheese. Traditionally it’s made from sheep milk though some versions today use cow milk or a mixture of cow, sheep and/or goat milk. The name means ‘first salting’ because the salt is added to the milk before it’s formed into curds and whey; typically it’s added later in the cheesemaking process. At Pilu at Freshwater, chef Giovanni Pilu makes a ricotta-like primo sale to serve as a snack with aperitivi. The milk is curdled with calcium lactate, available from health food stores and online; the same substance that often occurs as small crunchy crystals in aged hard cheeses. You’ll need muslin (or a similar thin cloth) to strain the cheese; a probe thermometer is handy too. While this fresh style of primo sale is best eaten the day it’s made, it keeps refrigerated for at least a week (I leave it wrapped in its cheesecloth). If you can’t find calcium lactate or don’t want to make your own cheese, serve a good ricotta (like the ones from Vannella) in the same way.
Makes about 400g/14oz (serves 6 as a starter)
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