DC: Salmon en Croute

The 2009 Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Simone of Junglefrog Cooking. Simone chose Salmon en Croute (or alternative recipes for Beef Wellington or Vegetable en Croute) from Good Food Online.

This month's Daring Cook's challenge was to make the gourmet creation "Salmon en Croute" which loosely translates to fish wrapped in a dough package. I'll keep this short and sweet- this recipe was amazing! I cheated and used Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust (in a long skinny red box in the biscuit section) and it was a 3 step meal! You can jazz it up to look fancy for a dinner party, or just treat yourself to a fabulous meal any day of the week!

As a side note: my apologies for the late post, I actually made this recipe before the deadline, then had a bunch of drama and got very distracted. Luckily, drama's over, and I'm liberated.

Salmon en Croute:

Preparation time: Total prep time incl. cooking for the Salmon is 50 minutes

Total prep time for the Beef Wellington is 3 hours

Shortcrust pastry : 50 minutes (optional)

Equipment required:

For the Salmon en croute

oven

foodprocessor

rolling pin

For the Beef Wellington

Blender or food processor

Frying pan

15 cm crepe pan or small frying pan or griddle

cling film

oven

Salmon en croute:

Ingredients

Mascarpone or creamcheese 5.2 ounces/150 gr

Watercress, rocket (arugula) and spinach - 0.6 cup/4.2 ounces/120 gr

Shortcrust pastry - 17.6 ounces, 500 gr. Use a butterversion such as Jus-rol which is frozen or dorset pastry. or... make your own!

Salmon fillet (skinless)- 17.6 ounce/500 gr

egg - 1 medium sized

Directions:

1.Heat the oven to 200°C/390 F. Put the mascarpone or cream cheese in a food processor with the watercress, spinach and rocket and whizz the lot until you have a creamy green puree. Season well.

2. Roll the pastry out so you can wrap the salmon in it completely (approx. 2-3 mm thick) and lay it on a buttered or oiled baking sheet (it will hang over the edges). Put the salmon in the middle. If it has a thinner tail end, tuck it under. Spoon half of the watercress mixture onto the salmon. Now fold the pastry over into a neat parcel (the join will be at the top, so trim the edge neatly), making sure you don’t have any thick lumps of pastry as these won’t cook through properly. Trim off any excess as you need to. Make 3 neat cuts in the pastry to allow steam to escape and make some decorations with the off-cuts to disguise the join if you like. Brush with the egg glaze.

3. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and browned. To test wether the salmon is cooked, push a sharp knife through one of the cuts into the flesh, wait for 3 seconds then test it against the inside of your wrist; if it is hot, the salmon is cooked. Serve with the rest of the watercress puree as a sauce.

DC: SUSHI!

I was SO excited to see SUSHI as this month's Daring Cook's Challenge! I made sushi often, so it wasn't too far outside of my comfort zone, so I tried to mix up the fillings a bit, and to make some really pretty looking rolls. The top roll there is a gorgeous and oh so easy to create salmon sushi roll.I also made some salmon and tuna nigiri sushi...

And my personal favorite, a steak and avocado topped spicy tuna with cucumber roll! Call is the Chubby roll. So delicious!

I seared some steak and put it on top of a basic inside out roll with spicy tuna and cucumber strips inside. I love sushi!! The whole family came over, and we had a good old fashioned sushi throwdown! Yum!!!

Tips for sushi:

For cucumbers, peel them, cut in half lengthwise, and then scoop out seeds with a spoon and cut the remaining flesh lengthwise into rectangles.

Vegetables are best cut into long skinny rectangles, it works best to fill with.

Spicy Tuna recipe: sashimi grade tuna, diced mixed with Real Mayo- Hot and Spicy variety, green onions diced finely, and tobiko or some other type of fish roe.

When rolling, roll and pull the sushi roll toward you at the same time as to decrease the extra space and make the roll as tight as possible. If it is not tight it will fall apart when you try to cut it!

ALWAYS use SASHIMI GRADE fish! If not you could get seriously ill. That's no fun for anyone!!

The recipe for the gorgeous sushi rolls was found here.

DC: Pho:n Food!

I love Pho (pronounced fuh), especially on a cold winter day, or when I think I might be coming down with something. The savory hot broth and added extra spice clears sinuses and satiates an empty stomach. This is why I was really excited to see that Jaden (food blog celebrity of Steamy Kitchen) was hosting Daring Cooks and chose Pho for our challenge. We are using her shorthand version, but an extended version can be found on her site here, and in her new Cookbook, due out this month!

The October 2009 Daring Cooks’ challenge was brought to us by Jaden of the blog Steamy Kitchen. The recipes are from her new cookbook, The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook.

If you're not familiar with Pho, here's what wikipedia has to say:"

Phở (Vietnamese pronunciation: [fə̃ː] ( listen); in English, written pho and typically pronounced /ˈfʌ/^[1]) is a Vietnamesebeef and noodle soup from North Vietnam.^[2] The soup includes noodles made from rice and is often served with basil,lime, bean sprouts and peppers that are added to the soup by the customer."

In other words- Pho is basically a jazzed up noodle soup with a delicious spiced broth and other mix ins that make it customizable to each diner's individual taste.

My experience making the Pho was overall a good one. My main problem came when adding the broth. Somewhere in my freezer is a block of homemade chicken stock. I pulled out what I thought was that stock, went along with the recipe, but was shocked to see shrimp when I began to strain the broth before serving. The block I used was not the chicken broth, but a Thai soup I had made and frozen. Perfect Pho broth tainted with thai soup filled with shrimp, lemongrass, coconut milk, garlic and lime zest. Oh well. Luckily it was probably equal parts thai soup and chicken stock, so it was diluted a bit. I could taste that the broth did not have the clear and pure flavors, but it did not taste bad. The main thing I noticed was that the soup made the broth cloudy and not crystal clear like a good pho is. Overall it is delicious, but not as delicious as my local Pho joint, so I think for now I'll continue to hit up there for my Pho cravings!

On to the goods: the recipe!

Pho Ga

Equipment:

• Frying pan

• Large stockpot

• Tongs

• Strainer, sieve or colander

• Bowls for serving

Preparation Time: 45 cooking time + 15 minutes to cook noodles based on package directions

Servings: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

For the Chicken Pho Broth:

2 tbsp. whole coriander seeds

4 whole cloves

2 whole star anise

2 quarts (2 liters/8 cups/64 fluid ounces) store-bought or homemade chicken stock

1 whole chicken breast (bone in or boneless)

½ onion

1 3-inch (7.5 cm) chunk of ginger, sliced and smashed with side of knife

1 to 2 tbsps. sugar

1 to 2 tbsps. fish sauce

1 lb. (500 grams/16 ounces) dried rice noodles (about ¼ inch/6 mm wide)

The Spices:

Accompaniments:

2 cups (200 grams/7 ounces) bean sprouts, washed and tails pinched off

Fresh cilantro (coriander) tops (leaves and tender stems)

½ cup (50 grams/approx. 2 ounces) shaved red onions

½ lime, cut into 4 wedges

Sriracha chili sauce

Hoisin sauce

Sliced fresh chili peppers of your choice

Directions:

1. To make the Chicken Pho Broth: heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the coriander seeds, cloves and star anise and toast until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Immediately spoon out the spices to avoid burning.
2. In a large pot, add all the ingredients (including the toasted spices) and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 20 minutes, skimming the surface frequently.
4. Use tongs to remove the chicken breasts and shred the meat with your fingers, discarding the bone if you have used bone-in breasts.
5. Taste the broth and add more fish sauce or sugar, if needed. Strain the broth and discard the solids.
6. Prepare the noodles as per directions on the package.
7. Ladle the broth into bowls. Then divide the shredded chicken breast and the soft noodles evenly into each bowl.
8. Have the accompaniments spread out on the table. Each person can customize their own bowl with these ingredients.

Extended Pho Ga recipe: http://steamykitchen.com/139-vietnamese-chicken-noodle-soup-pho-ga.html

DC: Vegan Indian Dosas

When I first read our challenge for September I was a little bit shocked and confused. Indian dosas sounded delicious, but then I read the part where it all had to be Vegan. I am a 100% omnivore. Vegan food for me is a side item to a nice hunk of MEAT! Most vegan food to me is bland, not filling, and boring, but I have to say... this Vegan food is AMAZING!! Its delicious and filling, and definitely something I could eat alone, not as a side item. I made an Indian spiced yogurt chicken to go with it, but I don't even need to eat it. The dosa alone is enough. Needless to say, this recipe is great. It does take a bit of time and prep, but overall it is well worth it. Much thanks to Debyi for choosing this delicious adventure! I can't wait to eat more of this tomorrow for lunch during my 30 hr shift.

I did make a few changes:

*I used whole wheat flour instead of spelt flour (I honestly didn't want to buy something I would likely only use once and then leave to clutter my pantry). The whole wheat flour required a bunch more liquid to reach the appropriate consistency for the pancakes.

*I added spicy garlic chile sauce (I buy from Asian store) to bean filling and sauce. I like my food spicy. I also added a bit more of all of the spices. I like my food to be spicy and strong.

*I only used one can coconut milk in the sauce, it seemed adequately coconutty with just the one.

*I added some tomato paste to the sauce as well, and less whole tomato. Tomato makes my brother vomit on contact with his mouth... (He once ate a piece of sushi at the restaurant at the Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Va thinking it was tuna, but really it was a slice of tomato, and gagged and wretched at the table and didn't eat anything for like 48 hours from the trauma.)

Indian Dosas


This recipe comes in 3 parts, the dosas, the filling and the sauce. It does take awhile to make, but the filling and sauce can be made ahead and frozen if need be. You can serve them as a main course with rice and veggies, or as an appetizer. This does take a little planning ahead, so make sure you read the recipe through before starting (I forgot & didn't start making the rice until everything was ready, oops).

Serves 4

Equipment needed:
large bowl, 
whisk
, griddle or skillet, 
ladle (or large spoon), 
spatula
, vegetable peeler &/or knife, 
large saucepan, 
food processor or bean masher

Dosa Pancakes:


1 cup (120gm/8oz) spelt flour (or all-purpose, gluten free flour)


½ tsp (2½ gm) salt


½ tsp (2½ gm) baking powder


½ tsp (2½ gm) curry powder


½ cup (125ml/4oz) almond milk (or soy, or rice, etc.)


¾ cup (175ml/6oz) water


cooking spray, if needed

Dosa Filling: 
1 batch Curried Garbanzo Filling (see below), heated

Dosa Toppings: 
1 batch Coconut Curry Sauce (see below), heated


¼ cup (125gm) grated coconut
, ¼ cucumber, sliced

Dosa Pancakes


1.Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, slowly adding the almond milk and water, whisking until smooth.


2.Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spray your pan with a thin layer of cooking spray, if needed.


3.Ladle 2 tablespoons of batter into the center of your pan in a circular motion until it is a thin, round pancake. When bubbles appear on the surface and it no longer looks wet, flip it over and cook for a few seconds. Remove from heat and repeat with remaining batter.

Makes 8 pancakes.

Curried Garbanzo Filling


This filling works great as a rice bowl topping or as a wrap too, so don't be afraid to make a full batch.

5 cloves garlic


1 onion, peeled and finely diced


1 carrot, peeled and finely diced


1 green pepper, finely diced (red, yellow or orange are fine too)


2 medium hot banana chilies, minced


2 TBSP (16gm) cumin, ground


1 TBSP (8gm) oregano


1 TBSP (8gm) sea salt (coarse)


1 TBSP (8gm) turmeric


4 cups (850gm/30oz) cooked or canned chick peas (about 2 cans)


½ cup (125gm/4oz) tomato paste

1.Heat a large saucepan over medium to low heat. Add the garlic, veggies, and spices, cooking until soft, stirring occasionally.


2.Mash the chickpeas by hand, or in a food processor. Add the chickpeas and tomato paste to the saucepan, stirring until heated through.

Coconut Curry Sauce


This makes a great sauce to just pour over rice as well. This does freeze well, but the texture will be a little different. The flavor is still the same though. My picture of this sauce is one that I had made, had to freeze, then thaw to use. It tastes great, but the texture is a little runnier, not quite as thick as it was before freezing.

1 onion, peeled and chopped


2 cloves garlic


½ (2½ gm) tsp cumin, ground


¾ (3¾ gm) tsp sea salt (coarse)


3 TBSP (30gm) curry powder


3 TBSP (30gm) spelt flour (or all-purpose GF flour)


3 cups (750ml/24oz) vegetable broth


2 cups (500ml/24oz) coconut milk


3 large tomatoes, diced

1.Heat a saucepan over medium heat, add the onion and garlic, cooking for 5 minutes, or until soft.
2.Add the spices, cooking for 1 minutes more. Add the flour and cook for 1 additional minute.
3.Gradually stir in the vegetable broth to prevent lumps. Once the flour has been incorporated, add the coconut milk and tomatoes, stirring occasionally.
4.Let it simmer for half an hour.
Happy eating!

DC: Rice with Cod, Artichoke and Mushroom

This month's challenge was Rice with Cuttlefish, Artichoke and Mushroom from Olga of Las Cosas de Olga and Olga's Recipes. The recipe is a Spanish dish by Jose Andres. Olga's version of the recipe looked smiply fabulous, but I feel like mine definitely did not add up!! I tried, but oh well. I was a little rushed, and honestly not really into it, but I had to make it then or else I wouldn't get around to it in time!! I didn't feel like looking for cuttlefish or cooking squid, so I went with Cod. Nice firm fleshy fish. I used canned artichokes, sushi rice, and a mixture of white button and shiitake mushrooms. I also bought some steak on impulse at the grocery store b/c it was like half off or something, but that means I had to cook it that day for fear of spoilage. Yumm. Cod and Rice and Artichokes and STEAK!

Overall it was really good. I think if I'd spent more time on it, put a little more love in it, it would have tasted better. It didn't taste bad, for sure. Don't get me wrong. I liked it, the BF loved it, but I thought it could have been better. I would definitely consider trying it again, and I would definitely recommend it to a friend!! Don't forget to check out the other Daring Cooks' creations, as well as my kitchen cohort Diana of Thyme to Lime.

Rice with Cod, Artichoke and Mushroom

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Equipment:

• 1 Chopping Board
• 1 knife
• 1 medium saucepan
• 1 Paella pan (30 cm/11” is enough for 4 people. If not available, you may use a simple pan that size)
• 1 Saucepan

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 4 Artichokes (you can use jarred or freezed if fresh are not available)
• 12 Mushrooms (button or Portobello)
• 1 or 2 Bay leaves (optional but highly recommended)
• 1 glass of white wine
• 2 Cuttlefish (you can use freezed cuttlefish or squid if you don’t find it fresh)
• “Sofregit” (see recipe below)
• 300 gr (2 cups) Short grain rice (Spanish types Calasparra or Montsant are preferred, but you can choose any other short grain. This kind of rice absorbs flavor very well) – about 75 gr per person ( ½ cup per person) Please read this for more info on suitable rices.
• Water or Fish Stock (use 1 ½ cup of liquid per ½ cup of rice)
• Saffron threads (if you can’t find it or afford to buy it, you can substitute it for turmeric or yellow coloring powder)
• Allioli (olive oil and garlic sauce, similar to mayonnaise sauce) - optional

• Directions:
  

  1. Cut the cuttlefish in little strips.
  2. Add 1 or 2 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and put the cuttlefish in the pan.
  3. If you use fresh artichokes, clean them as shown in the video in tip #7. Cut artichokes in eights.
  4. Clean the mushrooms and cut them in fourths.
  5. Add a bay leaf to the cuttlefish and add also the artichokes and the mushrooms.
  6. Sauté until we get a golden color in the artichokes.
  7. Put a touch of white wine so all the solids in the bottom of the get mixed, getting a more flavorful dish.
  8. Add a couple or three tablespoons of sofregit and mix to make sure everything gets impregnated with the sofregit.
  9. Add all the liquid and bring it to boil.
  10. Add all the rice. Let boil for about 5 minutes in heavy heat.
  11. Add some saffron thread to enrich the dish with its flavor and color. Stir a little bit so the rice and the other ingredients get the entire flavor. If you’re using turmeric or yellow coloring, use only 1/4 teaspoon.
  12. Turn to low heat and boil for another 8 minutes (or until rice is a little softer than “al dente”)
  13. Put the pan away from heat and let the rice stand a couple of minutes.
  Sofregeit

  Cooking time: aprox. 1 hour
  Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 5 big red ripe tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 small onions, chopped
  • 1 green pepper, chopped (optional)
  • 4 or 5 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 cup of button or Portobello mushrooms, chopped (optional)
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • Salt
  • Touch of ground cumin
  • Touch of dried oregano

  Directions:

  1. Put all the ingredients together in a frying pan and sauté slowly until all vegetables are soft.
  2. Taste and salt if necessary (maybe it’s not!)
  
  

DC: Oh how I love thee, sticky pot stickers

I was SUPER psyched to see Dumplings as this months challenge for Daring Cooks. I love to order these morsels as appetizers at Asian restaurants. Thin dough wrappers filled with countless combinations of sweet and savory, spicy and crunchy. I was in foodie bliss. I got started on this challenge early, because right now I am actually sitting in the airport on my way to Greece for ten days with a friend!! YAY! Talk about last minute posting. Anyways, back to the goods. These potstickers are SOO good its ridiculous. I could eat an entire batch. I literally had to restrain myself. I stuck with the original recipe provided, except I changed the pork to ground chicken, and made ground chicken ones and shrimp ones. The ground chicken ones were really good. The combination of spices was perfect, and I added a little bit of chili-garlic sauce to spice it up a bit. The shrimp ones were really phenomenal, little chunks of shrimp, crunchy morsels of water chestnut and some heat from that chili-garlic sauce. Delicious! They were SO good!!

The only thing is that stinks is the amount of time you have to put into the dough and actually making the dumplings! They're kinda time consuming, but worth the effort in this case. I would plan to make the dumpilings an entire afternoon so you're not rushed, especially if you're a one person team.

Here's the filling for the chicken ones... yumm

Pleated buns pre cooking

post pan fry
shrimp one in half. yum
Pretty!!

Here's the recipe. I love these, and I will take the time to make them again!

Chinese Dumplings/Potstickers

pork filling:
1 lb (450g) ground pork
4 large napa cabbage leaves, minced
3 stalks green onions, minced
7 shitake mushrooms, minced (if dried - rehydrated and rinsed carefully)
1/2 cup (75g) bamboo shoots, minced
1/4 (55g) cup ginger root, minced
3 tbsp (40g) soy sauce
2 tbsp (28g) sesame oil
2 tbsp (16g) corn starch

OR

shrimp filling:
1/2 lb (225g) raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and coarsely chopped
1/2 lb (225g) ground pork
3 stalks green onions, minced
1/4 cup (55g) ginger root, minced
1 cup (142g) water chestnuts, minced
1 tsp (5g) salt
3 tbsp (40g) sesame oil
2 tbsp (16g) corn starch

dough: (double this for the amount of filling, but easier to make it in 2 batches - or just halve the filling recipe)
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (113g) warm water
flour for worksurface

dipping sauce:
2 parts soy sauce

1 tsbp chili garlic sauce

1 part vinegar (red wine or black)
a few drops of sesame oil
chili garlic paste (optional)
minced ginger (optional)
minced garlic (optional)
minced green onion (optional)
sugar (optional)

Combine all filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly (I mix by clean hand). Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (up to a day, but preferably within an hour or two).

Make the dough, Method 1: Place the flour in the work bowl of a food processor with the dough blade. Run the processor and pour the warm water in until incorporated. Pour the contents into a sturdy bowl or onto a work surface and knead until uniform and smooth. The dough should be firm and silky to the touch and not sticky.[Note: it’s better to have a moist dough and have to incorporate more flour than to have a dry and pilling dough and have to incorporate more water).

Make the dough, Method 2 (my mom’s instructions): In a large bowl mix flour with 1/4 cup of water and stir until water is absorbed. Continue adding water one teaspoon at a time and mixing thoroughly until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. We want a firm dough that is barely sticky to the touch.

[EDIT: 5/26/09] There have been two complaints posted about a dry dough and I realize that this rests in the problem of measuring flour which has a different density and hence weight for 2 cups depending on how you scoop it. That is why I also list the weight: 250g. Flour tends to settle over time, so when I scoop it out, I shake several cups' worth back into the container before taking a final scoop of soft, fluffy, flour and I get 250g for 2 cups. When you knead the dough, if it feels hard and dry, then you can add more water. [Warning: it will NOT be a soft bread dough, so don't expect it to be, but it shouldn't be a brick either.] It is perfectly fine to use more than the 1/2 cup listed in the recipe as everyone's climate and flours vary. Use your judgment - this is what being a Daring Cook is about. We are trying to cultivate a sense of intuition so that recipes are general guidelines from which you can expand your own style.

Both dough methods: Knead the dough about twenty strokes then cover with a damp towel for 15 minutes. Take the dough and form a flattened dome. Cut into strips about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide. Shape the strips into rounded long cylinders. On a floured surface, cut the strips into 3/4 inch pieces. Press palm down on each piece to form a flat circle (you can shape the corners in with your fingers). With a rolling pin, roll out a circular wrapper from each flat disc. Take care not to roll out too thin or the dumplings will break during cooking - about 1/16th inch. Leave the centers slightly thicker than the edges. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper and fold the dough in half, pleating the edges along one side (see images in post for how to fold pleats). Keep all unused dough under damp cloth.

To pan fry (potstickers): Place dumplings in a frying pan with 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil. Heat on high and fry for a few minutes until bottoms are golden. Add 1/2 cup water and cover. Cook until the water has boiled away and then uncover and reduce heat to medium or medium low. Let the dumplings cook for another 2 minutes then remove from heat and serve.

Graduation and Botched Daring Cooks

Our first Daring Cooks challenge: Zuni Ricotta Gnocchi. Tragically, mine were far from stellar. Everything started well, but when it came time to cook them I had to add flour to get them to a workable consistency. Then I did a tester to make sure it was right, and when I tasted it, I was a little grossed out. Not sure why. I was late on time at that point for the rest of my dinner, so I scrapped the whole thing and vowed to try later. Then when later came around I had graduation from Medical School so I completely ran out of time. Medical school graduation festivities versus gnocchi...hmm...which will I choose? I can't believe I'm a doctor now! All the years of hard work and studying have paid off. I achieved my goal! Now I have a few weeks off to cook and bake up a storm until the real work begins: internship! I just wish I had pictures of all the great food at the party! Here are two sheet cakes my dad made and freehand drew the cadeuceus on in my favorite color (PINK!):

As for the gnocchi, I have a second batch of ricotta chillin in my fridge as we speak. I plan on making the recipe, but I just haven't had the opportunity yet. Better luck next time I guess. Here's the recipe

anyways:

For the gnocchi:

1 pound fresh ricotta (2 cups)

2 large cold eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 or 3 fresh sage leaves, or a few pinches of freshly grated nutmeg, or a few pinches of chopped lemon zest (all optional)

½ ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (about ¼ cup very lightly packed)

about ¼ teaspoon salt (a little more if using kosher salt)

all-purpose flour for forming the gnocchi

For the gnocchi sauce:

8 tablespoons butter, sliced

2 teaspoons water

Step 1 (the day before you make the gnocchi): Preparing the ricotta.

If the ricotta is too wet, your gnocchi will not form properly. In her cookbook, Judy Rodgers recommends checking the ricotta’s wetness. To test the ricotta, take a teaspoon or so and place it on a paper towel. If you notice a very large ring of dampness forming around the ricotta after a minute or so, then the ricotta is too wet. To remove some of the moisture, line a sieve with cheesecloth or paper towels and place the ricotta in the sieve. Cover it and let it drain for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can wrap the ricotta carefully in cheesecloth (2 layers) and suspend it in your refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours with a bowl underneat to catch the water that’s released. Either way, it’s recommended that you do this step the day before you plan on making the gnocchi.

Step 2 (the day you plan on eating the gnocchi): Making the gnocchi dough.

If the ricotta is too wet, your gnocchi will not form properly. In her cookbook, Judy Rodgers recommends checking the ricotta’s wetness. To test the ricotta, take a teaspoon or so and place it on a paper towel. If you notice a very large ring of dampness forming around the ricotta after a minute or so, then the ricotta is too wet. To remove some of the moisture, line a sieve with cheesecloth or paper towels and place the ricotta in the sieve. Cover it and let it drain for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can wrap the ricotta carefully in cheesecloth (2 layers) and suspend it in your refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours with a bowl underneath to catch the water that’s released. Either way, it’s recommended that you do this step the day before you plan on making the gnocchi.

Step 2 (the day you plan on eating the gnocchi): Making the gnocchi dough.

To make great gnocchi, the ricotta has to be fairly smooth. Place the drained ricotta in a large bowl and mash it as best as you can with a rubber spatula or a large spoon (it’s best to use a utensil with some flexibility here). As you mash the ricotta, if you noticed that you can still see curds, then press the ricotta through a strainer to smooth it out as much as possible.

Add the lightly beaten eggs to the mashed ricotta.

Melt the tablespoon of butter. As it melts, add in the sage if you’re using it. If not, just melt the butter and add it to the ricotta mixture.

Add in any flavouring that you’re using (i.e., nutmeg, lemon zest, etc.). If you’re not using any particular flavouring, that’s fine.

Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and the salt.

Beat all the ingredients together very well. You should end up with a soft and fluffy batter with no streaks (everything should be mixed in very well).

Step 3: Forming the gnocchi.

Fill a small pot with water and bring to a boil. When it boils, salt the water generously and keep it at a simmer. You will use this water to test the first gnocchi that you make to ensure that it holds together and that your gnocchi batter isn’t too damp.

In a large, shallow baking dish or on a sheet pan, make a bed of all-purpose flour that’s ½ an inch deep.

With a spatula, scrape the ricotta mixture away from the sides of the bowl and form a large mass in the centre of your bowl.

Using a tablespoon, scoop up about 2 to 3 teaspoons of batter and then holding the spoon at an angle, use your finger tip to gently push the ball of dough from the spoon into the bed of flour.

At this point you can either shake the dish or pan gently to ensure that the flour covers the gnocchi or use your fingers to very gently dust the gnocchi with flour. Gently pick up the gnocchi and cradle it in your hand rolling it to form it in an oval as best as you can, at no point should you squeeze it. What you’re looking for is an oval lump of sorts that’s dusted in flour and plump.

Gently place your gnocchi in the simmering water. It will sink and then bob to the top. From the time that it bobs to the surface, you want to cook the gnocchi until it’s just firm. This could take 3 to 5 minutes.

If your gnocchi begins to fall apart, this means that the ricotta cheese was probably still too wet. You can remedy this by beating a teaspoon of egg white into your gnocchi batter. If your gnocchi batter was fluffy but the sample comes out heavy, add a teaspoon of beaten egg to the batter and beat that in. Test a second gnocchi to ensure success.

Form the rest of your gnocchi. You can put 4 to 6 gnocchi in the bed of flour at a time. But don’t overcrowd your bed of flour or you may damage your gnocchi as you coat them.

Have a sheet pan ready to rest the formed gnocchi on. Line the sheet pan with wax or parchment paper and dust it with flour.

You can cook the gnocchi right away, however, Judy Rodgers recommends storing them in the refrigerator for an hour prior to cooking to allow them to firm up.

Step 4: Cooking the gnocchi.

Have a large skillet ready to go. Place the butter and water for the sauce in the skillet and set aside.

In the largest pan or pot that you have (make sure it’s wide), bring at least 2 quarts of water to a boil (you can use as much as 3 quarts of water if your pot permits). You need a wide pot or pan so that your gnocchi won’t bump into each other and damage each other.

Once the water is boiling, salt it generously.

Drop the gnocchi into the water one by one. Once they float to the top, cook them for 3 to 5 minutes (as in the case with the test gnocchi).

When the gnocchi float to the top, you can start your sauce while you wait for them to finish cooking.

Place the skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Swirl it gently a few times as it melts. As soon as it melts and is incorporated with the water, turn off the heat. Your gnocchi should be cooked by now.

With a slotted spoon, remove the gnocchi from the boiling water and gently drop into the butter sauce. Carefully roll in the sauce until coated. Serve immediately.

Variations: For the gnocchi, you can flavour them however you wish. If you want to experiment by adding something to your gnocchi (i.e., caramelized onion, sundried tomato), feel free to do so. However, be forewarned, ricotta gnocchi are delicate and may not take well to elaborate additions. For the sauce, this is your chance to go nuts. Enjoy yourselves. Surprise us!!!

Freezing the gnocchi: If you don’t want to cook your gnocchi right away or if you don’t want to cook all of them, you can make them and freeze them. Once they are formed and resting on the flour-dusted, lined tray, place them uncovered in the freezer. Leave them for several hours to freeze. Once frozen, place them in a plastic bag. Remove the air and seal the bag. Return to the freezer. To cook frozen gnocchi, remove them from the bag and place individually on a plate or on a tray. Place in the refrigerator to thaw completely. Cook as directed for fresh gnocchi.