FOOD: Ricotta dumplings with burnt butter, pine nuts and sage.
I’ve called these ricotta dumplings, but they could be called ricotta gnocchi. There is no strict reason for this, but I thought I would go for a controversial opening. I’m not fussed. They’re delicious either way.
This recipe is somewhat unconventional in that there is no flour at all in the mixture. But the dumplings are rolled in – no, buried in – semolina flour overnight, and this gives the final dumpling a lovely crust.
There are different types of ricotta on the market. For this recipe to be successful, it is imperative that very fresh and wet ricotta is used. If the ricotta is too dry the dumplings won’t form and won’t have the same softness when cooked.
Most supermarket ricottas have been hung, and are quite dry and crumbly. The ricotta you want for this dish will probably be in a cheese shop. Ordinarily it will be formed straight into plastic colanders and then turned out. The fresh ricotta, when whisked, should resemble a thick curd.
These dumplings are quite rich and cheesy. They would be too much with a rich ragout. I like the simplicity of burnt butter and sage with this dish but, if you wanted to add to it, some blanched broccolini or grilled ribbons of zucchini could be turned through as well.
These dumplings are relatively simple to make compared with other gnocchi. But I do love to make potato gnocchi for the therapeutic nature of the process. I enjoy the repetitious, almost zen-like nature of kneeding and rolling and cutting a few hundred pieces of gnocchi.
I boil an amount of desiree potatoes, then mill them through a sieve. I’ll then weigh this cooked potato and add 30 per cent of the potato weight in flour. I add this quickly with a good pinch of salt, while the potato is still hot, so it incorporates. After forming the dough with my hand, I quickly take a piece, roll it and cook it, and test this before making the whole batch. It might need some seasoning or flour, depending on the moisture in the potatoes. Once I’m satisfied with the dough, I’ll roll out snakes the diameter of a 15-cent coin. I know such a coin does not exist in legal tender, but it’s a measurement we use in restaurants for something partway between the size of a 10-cent piece and a 20-cent piece. Given the disparity between chefs’ hands, it’s more reliable than saying “the width of a thumb”.
Some people like to add an egg to their gnocchi dough as a form of insurance, making sure it will stay together. I only ever add an egg if I plan to pan-fry the gnocchi after it’s been blanched: it gives it a bit of spring,
• and helps it to hold together after being sautéed.