What You Need to Know
This technique involves slowly pouring cream into a mixture of ricotta cheese and sugar while whisking, creating a stable emulsion through the formation of a complex network of lipids and proteins. The key variables are temperature, pH, and whisking speed.
This technique is unique to Campanian cuisine and is used to create a variety of whipped creams, such as those used as a topping for desserts and as a filling for cakes.
Steps
- 1.
Pastiera Napoletana (Naples): Creates the characteristic ricotta cream filling
- 2.
Cassata Siciliana (Sicily): Forms the stabilized ricotta layers
- 3.
Zeppole di San Giuseppe (Rome): Provides the pipable filling consistency
The Science
Primary Reaction
emulsification