First things first...
When making dairy products, it's important to ensure all your equipment, work surfaces and hands are sterile. Washing your equipment in boiling water will prevent bacteria from forming in your fresh cheese, milk or butter.
"Sugar sets really hard in ice-cream, but glucose stays this soft consistency. So what I do is I add a tiny bit of glucose to give this ice-cream a better mouthfeel, you can actually make a much softer, silkier ice-cream that’s not too hard out of your freezer."
Matthew’s mate Nick, a professional cheese maker from Tasmania, shares his pro tip when making fresh cheese: “the one thing you don’t want to do is get milk burned to the bottom of the pan.”
Once the butter has been churned, Nick recommends you "use a wooden board to wick away some of the moisture. It’s kind of like kneading dough. It’s a lot easier to do this cold if you get it too warm, it starts to stick.”
Making yoghurt at home is easier than you think - simply pure milk heated and inoculated with good bacteria, which converts the lactose into lactose acid. Make sure you heat your milk to a high temperature to knock out all the bacteria before you then add the good bacteria - either from a previous batch of yoghurt or a good quality commercial live yoghurt.
Potato gnocchi is amazing, we can all agree, but this dairy-infused creation takes the Italian classic to a new level. The ricotta makes for a soft, creamy dumpling that won't blow your carb quota for the day! When it comes time to cooking these beauties, make sure the water is only gently boiling, otherwise, they could fall apart.
Spinach and ricotta gnocchi Source: Alan Benson
This one is pretty simple, just mix together lemons, eggs, butter and sugar in a bowl over simmering water. Consistency is key here, as the curd will thicken as it cools. And don't worry about lumps, "they prove it's homemade", says Matthew!
For more from , visit the program page for recipes and to find out more about the show.
Lemon curd Source: Feast Magazine
