HANDMADE GNOCCHi

I LOVE LOVE LOVE  gnocchis... 

Like the pillow loves the head...

Like the mosquito loves the blood... 

Like the lazy loves the bed...

and Like the pig loves the mud...

(Yeah I know, I should totally stop cooking and become a poet, right?)

Gnocchis are probably my favorite pasta and maybe even my favorite dish of all times (if it does make sense to have only one favorite dish. Not so sure of anything anymore). Gnocchis are so much better when you make them yourself. It's a bit of work (it takes some time) but it's not very complicated once you know what to do. I am giving you here my favorite recipe and a few tips I learnt while making them over and over.  This way you will be sure not to fail. This post is about how to make the dough. Soon I will post a recipe that involes baking them... 

 

TiPS: 

• It's better to use a floury potato variety (the less water they contain the better)
• Cook potatoes with skin on.
• Make the puree with cool but not cold potatoes.
• Incorporate flour little by little. (easier) 
• Use corn flour and egg yolk to give a more firm texture to the gnocchi. You can do this recipe without any of this two (I personally prefer gnocchi a bit firm)
• If you like smooth gnocchi, you can use a mixer to smash the potatoes. I love to feel little pieces of potatoes here and there when I eat gnocchi so I do it by hand.
• Gnocchis froze very well. The only thing is to lay them flat for 1 or 2 hours  in the freezer so they won't stick to each other afterwards and then you can put them in a plastic bag and keep in your freezer for months. This way you can use them anytime. Don't even bother to unfroze them before cooking. Directly drop them in boiling water and that's it.
• Don't use a colander when gnocchis are cooked or you will end up with one huge messy gnocchi. Use a slotted spoon instead. 
• I like gnocchis whitout strips but the sauce does stick better to them with strips.

iNGREDiENTS:
-serve 4 -

• 1 kg potatoes
• 300 gr all purpose flour + a bit more
• 1 tsp corn flour
• 1 egg yolk
• a pinch of nutmeg powder
• salt

RECiPE:

• Boiled potatoes in salty water until knife tender (about 30 to 40min).
• Drain potatoes and leave to cool for a few minutes.
• Peel potatoes and mash them (like you would for a puree). Like I said in the tips, you can use a mixer if you like.
• Add salt + egg yolk + half flour + corn flour + nutmeg. Stir. I like to get my hands dirty but you don't HAVE to stir with your hands. Whatever you prefer.
• Stir rest of the flour.
• Form a big bowl with your dough, then cut in slices and roll into logs of 30cm long and 1cm thick.
• With a knife, cut small pieces 1-2cm wide.
• Flour well gnocchis with some flour so they won't stick.
• If you would like gnocchis to have little strips, lightly press each piece onto back of a folk. 
• Place on a sheet of baking paper.
• At this step, you can either froze gnocchis or cook them.
• To cook them, bring a pan full of salty water to boil.
• Stir in gnocchis.
• They are cooked once they float to the surface. Use slotted spoon, accommodate with any sauce you like. 
• ET VOiLA !

TO BE CONTiNUED...

DiM SUM

I first made those dumplings during a summer holiday in the south of France. I basically spent my mornings cooking for my family. And I have to say those made a great impression. They are so easy to make (easier if you have a steam cooker I admit) and very delicate. They will make a very pretty and tasty original entrée.

iNGREDiENTS:
 - make 10 -

• 10 pieces of rice paper (you can easily find them in a Chinese store. Just as the rest of the ingredients)
• 200 gr raw shrimp (I used frozen shrimps)
• A handful of bamboo
• 2 chinese mushrooms
• 1/2 shallot
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tbsp of ginger
• chives
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp corn flour
• 1 tbsp soya sauce
• a few salad leaves

RECiPE:

• Start by preparing all your ingredients.
• Take the shell of the raw shrimps and cut them in 4 pieces each.
• Cut the bamboo and mushrooms in small pieces.
• Finely chopped shallot, garlic clove and ginger (peel the ginger before chopping it!!)
• Heat the oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add: shallot + garlic + ginger + chopped chives (save some for later) and cook for 1 minutes.
• Add : mushrooms + bamboo + shrimps + soya sauce + 1 tsp corn flour (keep the 2nd one for later) and Stir.
• Cook for 4/5 minutes. Add the last tsp of cornflour and put aside.
• Before filing each rice sheet with the shrimp mixture, put them one after the other into a bowl of water so they will hydrate and get soft.
• Spread out a rice sheet in your work surface and fill with a tsp of the shrimp mixture.
• Bring the corners of the rice sheet together and tie with the chives.
• Repeat this with a new rice paper until you don't have any shrimp mixture left. (you will make about 10).
• (If that's not clear enough you might wanna check the video recipe)
• Cook with steam for 15 minutes, over a salad leaf. Don't forget the salad or the dim sum will stick and break down.
• Serve right away.
• ET VOiLÀ!