Parisian Gnocchi Recipes

PARISIAN GNOCCHI RECIPE

Steps:

• Bring water, butter, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to stir, beating dough forcefully and rapidly to prevent it from sticking to the pot. Continue cooking until dough pulls away from sides of pot leaving a thin layer and steams slightly.
• To Finish with Stand Mixer: Transfer hot dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add mustard and cheese and beat on medium-low speed. Add eggs one at a time, allowing dough to fully incorporate egg before adding the next one. When final egg has been added, add herbs and beat to combine. Transfer mixture to a gallon-sized zipper-lock bag or a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch tip. Proceed to Step 4.
• To Finish by Hand: Remove pot from heat. Add mustard and cheese and beat with wooden spoon until homogenous. Add eggs one at a time, beating vigorously with each addition to prevent eggs from curdling and allowing dough to fully incorporate egg before adding the next one. When final egg has been added, add herbs and beat to combine. Transfer mixture to a gallon-sized zipper-lock bag or a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch tip.
• Let mixture rest 15 to 25 minutes at room temperature. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a simmer and have a rimmed baking sheet. If using a zipper-lock bag, cut off a 1/2-inch opening in one corner. Holding the bag over the boiling water, squeeze the mixture out of the bag, cutting it off with a paring knife into 1-inch lengths and letting them fall directly into the simmering water. Continue cutting off as many as you can in one minute, then stop.
• When all gnocchi have floated to the top, continue cooking until gnocchi are fully cooked to the center, about 3 minutes longer. Lift gnocchi with a fine mesh strainer or a metal spider and transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and toss to coat. Repeat with remaining dough. Cooled gnocchi can be refrigerated until ready to continue cooking in either the Parisian Gnocchi with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Corn, and Zucchini , or in the Parisian Gnocchi Soufflé .

PARISIENNE GNOCCHI WITH BACON AND TARRAGON

Steps:

• Place oil and diced bacon in a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place pan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon is crispy. Set aside.
• Bring 4 quarts water to a simmer in a stockpot and line a sheet tray with parchment paper.
• Combine salt, 1 1/2 cups water and 12 tablespoons butter in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir constantly, making sure to not let the mixture stick to the bottom of the pan. Stir until a dough ball forms. Transfer dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the motor running on low, add Gruyere, Dijon mustard and tarragon and mix until well incorporated. With motor still running, add eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is incorporated before adding another. Transfer dough to a medium pastry bag fitted with a large metal tip.
• Slowly pipe dough into boiling water, using a paring knife to slice off into 3/4-inch pieces. (Work in batches.) When gnocchi float, transfer to lined sheet tray and chill until cold.
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a saute pan until hot and bubbly. Add gnocchi to pan and saute until browned. Add cooked, cubed bacon and stir.

PARISIAN GNOCCHI

Steps:

• 1. To make the pâte à choux, heat the water, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a saucepan over medium heat just until the butter is melted. Dump in all the flour at once and stir the mixture briskly for about 2 minutes, until the dough forms a smooth ball. Remove from the heat and scrape the dough into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (If you don't have a stand mixer, simply leave it in the bowl.) Let the dough sit for 3 minutes, stirring it every so often to release some of the heat.
• 2. With the mixer on medium-high speed, add the eggs one at a time, making sure each one is fully incorporated before adding the next. Add the dry mustard and beat until the dough is completely smooth. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and set aside.
• 3. To make the mornay sauce, melt the butter in the saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, letting the mixture bubble, stirring constantly for 2 minutes, until the paste is thickened. (Don't let it brown.) Gradually whisk in the milk, beginning slowly and stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
• 4. Decrease the heat to low and cook the mornay for 6 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the sauce is about as thick as a milkshake. Remove from heat and add the salt, cayenne, and 1/2 cup (40g) of the Swiss-style grated cheese; stir until the cheese is melted.
• 5. Butter a shallow 2 1/2- to 3-quart (2.5 to 3l) baking dish. (A wide dish is preferable to a deep one for browning the cheese topping.) Sprinkle half of the Parmesan over the bottom and sides. Spread 1 cup (250ml) of the mornay sauce over the bottom of the baking dish.
• 6. Line a large dinner plate with a few layers of paper towels. Bring a pot of salted water to a low boil. Either using two soupspoons-one to scoop up some of the dough and the other to scrape it into the boiling water-or a spring-loaded ice cream scoop filled partially full, scoop a round of the dough-about 1 generous tablespoon each-and drop it into the water. (The ice cream scoop was a little newfangled for Paule, although she did agree-reluctantly-that it was more expedient and made nicer gnocchi.) Working in batches, poach 8 to 10 gnocchi at a time. Let them poach for 2 minutes, then retrieve them from the water and drain them on the paper towels. (They won't be fully cooked inside.) Repeat, poaching the rest of the gnocchi the same way.
• 7. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) with the oven rack in the top third of the oven.
• 8. Once the gnocchi are parcooked, place them in a single layer on top of the mornay in the baking dish, and then spoon the rest of the mornay over the gnocchi in a fairly even layer. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/4 cups (100g) of Swiss-style cheese over the top, along with the remaining Parmesan. Put the baking dish on a foil-covered baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 400ºF (200ºC) and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese on top is well browned. Let cool a few minutes, and then serve in the baking dish, family style.

PARISIAN GNOCCHI (CHEF JACQUES PéPIN)

Steps:

• In small saucepan, combine water, salt and nutmeg with 2 tablespoons butter. Bring to boil over high heat. Add flour all at once and beat dough with wooden spoon until thick and comes away from sides of pan. Cook, stirring to dry out dough, about 30 seconds. Transfer dough to medium bowl. Cool 5 minutes.
• Bring large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Set bowl of ice water near stove.
• Beat 1 egg into dough until incorporated. Beat in 1/4 cup cheese and another egg until blended. Beat in last egg until dough is smooth and shiny. With spatula, transfer dough to large resealable plastic bag, pressing it into one corner. Cut tip off bag to create opening 1/2-inch long.
• Reduce boiling water to gentle simmer. Hold bag over water with one hand and squeeze out dough, using small sharp knife to cut it into 1-1/2-inch lengths; let drop into water. Simmer gnocchi 3 minutes. With slotted spoon, transfer to ice water. Transfer to paper towels and pat dry.
• Grease 13- by 9-inch baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Scatter gnocchi in dish; sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cheese. Bake in preheated 350F oven until puffed, about 25 minutes. Preheat broiler. Broil gnocchi 6 inches from heat until browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately.
• Makes 4 servings.

PARISIAN GNOCCHI

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine water, salt and spices along with 2 tablespoons of the butter. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat.
• As soon as the water boils and butter is melted, add the flour all at once.
• Beat the dough with a wooden spoon until it is thick, smooth and forms a ball. Continue to cook, stirring constantly to dry out the dough, about 30 seconds.
• Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. (You are cooling it long enough that it will not cook the eggs you are going to add.).
• Beat 1 egg into the dough until incorporated. Be sure to scrape the bowl a couple times so that the egg is evenly incorporated.
• Beat in 1/4 cup of grated cheese and another egg until blended, followed by the last egg until the dough is very smooth. Make sure you get each egg well incorporated before adding the next.
• Preheat the oven to 350°.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Set a bowl of ice water near the stove.
• Transfer the dough to a resealable plastic bag, pressing it into one corner.
• Cut off the tip of the bag. The opening should be about 1 inch long.
• Reduce the heat under the boiling water to maintain a gentle simmer.
• Carefully hold the bag over the water and press out the dough, using a small sharp knife to cut it into 1 1/2 inch lengths before it drops into the pot. Do this as quickly as you can so they cook evenly.
• Simmer the gnocchi for about 3 minutes.
• With a slotted spoon, transfer the gnocchi to the ice water bath to stop the cooking.
• Transfer the cooked and cooled gnocchi to paper towels and pat dry.
• Grease a 9-by-12-inch baking dish with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter.
• Arrange the gnocchi in the dish and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese. You can also top with bacon bits at this point if you so desire.
• Bake until puffed, about 25 minutes.
• Preheat the broiler. Broil the gnocchi 6 inches from the heat for 1 to 2 minutes, or until browned.
• Serve right away.
• NOTE: The gnocchi can be boiled and cooled in advance and refrigerated overnight before baking and broiling.