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Parisienne Gnocchi Parisienne Gnocchi are marvelous little dumplings made of pâte a choux dough, poached in water and finished in the oven. They can be served as a first course as well as a side dish, or as a main dish itself. There are two other types of gnocchi, one of German origin that is made with potato and poached in the same manner, and another called Roman gnocchi in France, which is made with hard-wheat semolina (the same granulated flour used to make pasta), cooked with water or milk into a mush (a type of polenta), then spread on a tray, cooled, and cut into shapes and fried or baked with cheese or tomato sauce. Pâte a choux (also known as choux paste, and cream-puff paste or dough) is a fast, economical, basic dough with multiple usage. Baked small balls stuffed with ice cream are known as profiteroles; larger ones stuffed with whipped cream or pastry cream as cream puffs; long ones are called eclairs. Puffs shaped into a large circle are the base of the Saint-Honore cake; built into a pyramid glued together with caramel, the puffs become the classic French wedding cake, called croquemboucbe. Paris-Brest is a cake also made of a large crown of pâte a choux, stuffed with praline cream. Our cream-puff fritters are light, ethereal balls of fried pâte a choux. Mixed with mashed potatoes and deep-fried, pate a choux becomes Dauphine potatoes, and combined with Swiss cheese and baked, it is made into Gougere, often served as a hot hors d'oeuvre. The mixture for gnocchi has fewer eggs than a regular pâte a choux dough, which takes 4 eggs to 1 cup of flour. If the gnocchi dough is too loose or eggy, the eggs will expand too much in the water and make the gnocchi mushy. Parisienne Gnocchi are formed into dumplings, then poached in water and cooled. They can be kept at this stage in the refrigerator for a couple of days and used when needed. When ready to serve, top with cheese or with a cream or tomato sauce and bake in a buttered gratin dish. The sauce can also be served separately. 1 cup water 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/3 teaspoon grated nutmeg 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter 1 cup flour 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 3 eggs 1 tablespoon butter to butter the gratin dish 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top of the gnocchi Place the water, salt, nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, drop the entire cup of flour into the mixture at once and mix quickly with a sturdy wooden spoon. Keep stirring until the mixture forms a smooth mass that separates easily from the sides of the saucepan. Then cook and stir for about 30 seconds to a minute more to dry the mixture further. Transfer the dough to the bowl of an electric mixer, or to a regular bowl if you plan to mix it by hand. After 5 to 10 minutes, when the mixture is a bit cooler, add the l/4 Cup Parmesan cheese and 1 egg. Mix at low speed (or by hand) until the egg is incorporated. At first the mixture will seem to separate, but keep mixing and eventually the mixture will become tight and thick. Then add the second egg and mix again until smooth. Repeat with the third egg. Cover the mixture with an oiled piece of plastic wrap and let it cool. Place about 3 inches of water in a large saucepan and heat ~ it to approximately 180 degrees. It should not boil. If the mixture boils, the dumplings will cook too fast, expand, and eventually deflate. The dumplings should poach without expanding; they will expand later in the oven. Mold the dumplings with a teaspoon; use approximately 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoonfuls of dough. Push the dough with your index finger into the water. Get close to the water so it does not splash. A faster way to shape the gnocchi, and one that makes gnocchi that are more equal in size, is with a pastry bag fitted with a 1-inch plain tip. Fill the tube with the gnocchi dough, let the tip rest on the edge of the saucepan, and press the mixture out. Slide a knife along the tip of the tube to form small gnocchi approximately 1 1/2 inches long. Poach the gnocchi for approximately 3 minutes. They will rise to the surface when they are done. Lift the gnocchi (they will not be completely cooked inside) with a slotted spoon, and place them in a bowl of iced water to cool. They will sink to the bottom of the bowl when cool. Drain and use them right away, or refrigerate for later use. Arrange the gnocchi in one layer on one or two buttered gratin dishes. They should have enough space to expand. Sprinkle with the reserved Parmesan cheese, and bake in a 3 50degree oven for 2 5 minutes. Serve right away, before they begin to deflate. We show them here with the Boulettes of Beef (see recipe) and Sauce Financiere (see recipe). 6 to 8 SERVINGS Return to Top | Back to Recipes |
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