Ottolenghi - simply delicious

One of my favorite cookbook discoveries in 2010 was Ottolenghi The Cookbook. Ottolenghi is the iconic London-based restaurant run by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. Their simple yet inventive dishes are inspired by their respective childhoods in West and East Jerusalem, and they draw from culinary traditions ranging from Persia to California.

Today I prepared their aubergine*-wrapped ricotta gnocchi with sage butter. A great dish for a California winter evening:

1 small to medium aubergine

4 tbsp olive oil

20 g unsalted butter, melted

15 g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Ricotta Gnocchi

30 pine nuts

250 g ricotta cheese

2 free-range egg yolks

35 g plain flour

40 g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 tbsp chopped basil

1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

a good grinding of black pepper

Sage Butter

90 g unsalted butter

20 sage leaves

a pinch of salt

1/2 tbsp lemon juice (optional)

1. Place the pine nuts in a small frying pan and dry-roast over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring them occasionally so they color evenly. Transfer to a large bowl and add the ricotta, egg yolks, flour, grated Parmesan, herbs, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir well, then cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 180 C. Trim the top and bottom off the aubergine and cut it lenghtways into 5 mm-tick slices; you will need 8-12 slices, depending on how many gnocchi you make. Lay the slices on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and brush liberally with the olive oil. Place in the oven and roast for 10-15 minutes, until tender and golden.

3. To shape the gnocchi, wet your hands and scoop out 40-50 g portions (about 3 tablespoons). Roll into 8 or 12 elongated barrel shapes. Meanwhile bring plenty of salted water to the boil in a large saucepan.

4. Carefully add a few dumplings to the simmering – don't cook them all at once or thy will stick to each other. After about 2 minutes, they should rise to the surface. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a tea towel to drain. Pat dry with kitchen paper and brush them with the melted butter.

5. Once the gnocchi have cooled down, take a strip of the aubergine and wrap it around the center of each one, like a belt. Trim the aubergine so that the seam is at the bottom. Place the gnocchi in a greased ovenproof dish and set aside. You can cover them with cling film and keep them in the fridge a day at this stage.

6. When ready to serve sprinkle the gnocchi with the Parmesan and bake in the oven at 180 C for 8-10 minutes, until they are heated through.

7. Meanwhile, quickly make the sage butter sauce, as it needs to coincide with the gnocchi. Place a small saucepan over a moderate heat. Add the butter and allow it to simmer for a few minutes until it turns a light golden-brown color and has a nutty smell. Remove from the heat and carefully add the sage, salt and lemon juice, if using. Return to the heat for a few seconds to cook the sage lightly.

8. Divide the gnocchi between serving plates, pour the hot butter on top with a few sage leaves and serve immediately. 

Serves 4 as a starter, 2 as a main course.

* aubergine = eggplant

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