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 This is a signature dish at No. 9 Park, and the inspiration should be credited to Alberto, a cook from Bergamo, Italy, who was working with us when I was asked to create 6 gnocchi recipes for the journal Arte Culinaire. Alberto remembered gnocchi from his hometown filled with prune puree. We took this idea, then added foie gras and vin santo to make it luxurious and suitable for the paste course, rather than having them for dessert, which is how Alberto first tasted it. 20-pitted prunes 2 cups of vin santo or Madeira 4 ounces of foie gras, room temperature 4 ounces of butter, softened, in pieces 1 1/2 pound Idaho or Yukon Gold potatoes (2-3 large potatoes) 2 cups flour, approximately 1 egg 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg Salt and pepper 1 shallot, diced 15 sprigs fresh thyme 12 black peppercorns 12 coriander seeds 1/4-cup heavy cream Marinate the prunes in wine for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours. Meanwhile, push the foie gras through a fine sieve to remove all veins, then combine in bowl with the butter. Wrap the mixture in plastic and refrigerate or freeze until firm. Boil potatoes, skins on, until very soft; cool just until you can handle them, then peel and rice or mash; refrigerate until cool. Put potatoes in a bowl, along with 1 cup of the flour, the egg and nutmeg; mix until just combined. Season with salt and pepper. Add enough of the remaining flour to make a delicate dough but slightly sticky dough. Transfer half of the dough to a floured work surface and roll into a sheet about 1/8-inch thick. Use 3-inch round cookie cutter to punch out rounds of dough; repeat rolling and cutting with remaining dough until you have about 40 circles. Strain prunes and reserve wine. Cut the prunes in half lengthwise. Put a piece of prune in the center of each dough circle, then fold them into half-moons and seal the edge. Lay the finished gnocchi on a floured surface and repeat with the remaining dough circles. Put finished packages in the freezer or refrigerator for 20 minutes before cooking. (They can be frozen for several days.) About 20 to 30 minutes before you’re ready to eat, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Put reserved wine in a small saucepan with shallot, thyme, peppercorns and coriander. Over high heat, reduce the mixture to about _ cup, a thick glaze. Add the cream, and cook until it reduces slightly, 3-5 minutes. Lower the heat and stir in a little of the foe gras-butter, as it melts, add more. When it’s all incorporated, put the sauce through a strainer to remove herbs. Keep the strained sauce warm but not hot or it will break. If the sauce does break, whisk in a little hot water and it will emulsify again. Reduce boiling water to a gentle boil, and drop gnocchi a few at a time into the water. Do not overcrowd the pot or the gnocchi will fall apart while cooking. The gnocchi are done cooking when they rise to the top, about 2 minutes later. Drain and keep warm until they are all cooked. Serve with sauce spooned over. Serve 4 as a main course, 8 as an appetizer or pasta course. |
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