Kelly Rossiter
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I originally thought that gnudi would be something like gnocci, those delicious little Italian potato dumplings. You have to have a real touch to make gnocchi, or else they turn out rubbery and tough, which I can attest to from personal experience. Gnudi is actually more like the stuffing of ravioli, but without the pasta skin. They were quite simple to make and they had a wonderful light texture and flavour.
This makes a great Valentine's dinner because it is rich and sophisticated looking as well as tasting, and you can have most of the components completed well before dinner. Make the gnudi the night before and let them sit in the semolina (although I didn't use anywhere near 4 cups, more like 1 1/2 to 2). I made a bed of semolina and sat the gnudi on top and then sprinkled more semolina over them. This is a crucial step, because otherwise they will have too much moisture in them and they will just break apart when you poach them.
You can make the sauce earlier if you like, and just gently re-heat it without boiling when you are ready to cook the gnudi. The gnudi just take a few minutes to poach, so you can have dinner on the table in about 10 minutes. I would serve this with a salad of bitter greens with a classic vinaigrette to balance the richness of the main course.
I've adapted the recipe a bit. The originally calls for 3 cups of 35% cream and 2 cups of Parmesan cheese, which I think is a ridiculous amount. I prefer to have the mushrooms stand out more than the cream in the sauce so I reduced the amount of cream quite a bit. It was still delicious.
Gnudi with Wild Mushrooms
1 cup (250 mL) grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup (250 mL) fresh ricotta
2 large organic eggs
1 large organic egg yolk
1 tsp (5 mL) nutmeg, ground
½ cup(125 mL) all-purpose flour
2 tbsp (30 mL) minced chives
4 cups (1 L) semolina
Mushroom Saute:
1 tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp (15 mL) unsalted butter
2 cups (500 mL) mixed mushrooms (shiitake, oyster, crimini)1 tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
Cream Sauce:
1 cups (750 mL) 35&perc; cream
1/2 cups (200 mL) Parmesan cheese, grated
- In a bowl, combine the Parmesan, ricotta, eggs, egg yolk and nutmeg. With a spatula or hand blender, whip mixture until smooth and airy. Fold in flour and chives. Season with salt and pepper. With floured hands, roll gnudi mixture into 1-inch (2 cm) balls. This next step is crucial: Bury the gnudi balls in semolina overnight in the fridge to rest.
- The following day, bring a shallow pot of water (about 3 inches) to a boil. Add gnudi and reduce heat to a simmer. In batches, poach the gnudi until they are floating on top.
- For the mushroom saute: In a large skillet, heat oil and butter over medium-high heat, add mushrooms. Stir until golden and softened, about 15 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- For the sauce: In the same skillet as your mushrooms, add cream. Over high heat, reduce cream by one third, about 10 minutes. Turn heat off, add Parmesan, stirring to combine.
From The National Post, Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
Difficulty Level: Easy
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