' An Award-winning Recipe '.... blog # 45

‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’ #45      Award-winning  Semolina Gnocchi

 *# * An Award-winning* * * Recipe * ……

   

Mmmmmm….. a HuGE  advert  placed in the Daily Times by a local ‘ Healthfood Emporium ’,  offered a generous prize and dinner at one of The City’s most exciting and avante garde restaurants, for the *# * winning$$$ *  * * recipe *, submitted to ‘ Healthfood Emporium’s ’ competition….

Always  ready for an epicurean challenge, I  rose to the occasion. Excited as  “……‘MAVIS ”  in “ The FIVE RAND STORE ”  …(See previous blog #44), I  KNEW  I  had the *# * winning$$$ * *  * recipe * !    

Now, this just happ’d to  be a few years ago, not toooo long ago, but as ‘ Healthfood Emporium ’ was not yet au fait with what then was a very new concept: “the email” , it was required, to fax  them a faximile  -  a copy of your *# * winning$$$ * *  * recipe *, on PAPER!

This I  did..yes!  I  transcribed my *# * winning$$$ * *  * recipe * onto my laptop, clear and concise, and then dutifully faxed it to the pertinent fax number, together with stylized photos too.   I  waited for a reply …and waited weeks ,  and got none!  And then it was upon us!... THE DATE  that the winner would be announced - that cut-off date, but without me! ....yes!  – and STILL  nothing heard , no response from ‘ Healthfood Emporium ’.

Being who I  am, I  called-up, I  telephoned to enquire if, by chance I  was that winner – the winner of that competition?  

GOSH   NO !...never received my entry, said She ,  ‘She’  being the “Messenger”  of accepting fax messages and entering those entries to that competition.

Oh dear, quel horreur!   And in my hand I  held  proof  from my fax machine, proof of said *# * winning$$$ * *  * recipe *, said competition entry, having reached that correct destination!SPOOF!

Ego almost destroyed, life goes on, and‘ Healthfood Emporium ’ invited MyM  and Me  to their *Gala Dinner* *, the prize giving….

I  knew I  had the *# * winning$$$ * *  * recipe *,   and they just never had the good fortune to experience it.

So may I  present to you, an *# * AWARD-winning 000* * * recipe * ……     

  

Semolina Gnocchi

      Served with a chilled, fresh chopped tomato, basil and garlic, and olive oil salsa.

This is a show piece! This is a most unexpected texture to the palate…this is a talking point at ANY dinner party. This is EASY!

Served as a starter,  or as a main course…they’ll all want more!

PREPARATION -THE 'MISE en PLACE'  FOR SEMOLINA GNOCCHI

INGREDIENTS:

1 litre (4 cups) fullcream milk

250 g semolina

50g butter

3 extra-large eggs (not Jumbo eggs)

100g grated Parmesan cheese

        (or 50g Pecorino/50g Parmesan)

Plus:

50g extra parmesan for sprinkling over

20g butter cut into small pieces to dot over, before baking

Salt to taste (about ¼ teaspoon)

SETTING OUT THE INGREDIENTS

1L MILK + 3 EGGS +  50g BUTTER + 1/4 tsp SALT +
100g GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE + 250g SEMOLINA

* This quantity yields 36 pieces.

METHOD:

COOK THE SEMOLINA FOR 15 MINUTES TILL THICK ,
 SO THAT A SPOON WILL STAND UP STRAIGHT.

1) In a heavy based saucepan, bring milk to the boil, and immediately lower the heat to a simmer.

2) Slowly sprinkle in the semolina, while stirring all the time with a wooden spoon.

3) Add about 20g of the butter

4) Continue to stir the semolina continuously, over a low heat for 15 minutes, until very thick, making sure there are no lumps, and be careful not to let it stick to the bottom of the saucepan.

5) Take the pan off the heat, with a wooden spoon, beat in the eggs, one at a time.

6) Add the remaining 30g butter

7) Add the grated cheese and the salt, and mix well with a wooden spoon (a good arm exercise!).  

8) Then prepare a flat surface such as a clean counter top, or chopping board, marble slab, etc: just sprinkle with a little water just to dampen surface.

9) Pour the cooked semolina from saucepan onto damp surface, and with a slightly dampened palm (flat of your hand, or with a flat spatula too) pat it out, flatten the mixture until it approximately 1½cm thick. Leave to cool.

10) When cold, use a round cookie/pastry cutter, cut into rounds of about 5cm diameter. Dip the cutter in a little oil so as not to stick when cutting into the semolina dough (I use a pastry cutter with a fluted edge)

11) With an oiled flat knife/metal spatula, gently slide the cut rings of semolina gnocchi off the work surface and place in concentric circles, slightly overlapping, in the baking dish.

12) Don’t waste the off-cuts, just re-shape into a solid dough again, same thickness, to cut some more!

ADD EGGS, ONE AT A TIME, THEN  REMAINING BUTTER,
GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE, AND SALT TO TASTE

SPOON OUT ONTO A SLIGHTLY DAMPENED SURFACE

SPREAD TILL APPROXIMATELY 1,5cm THICK

USE A ROUND COOKIE CUTTER 5cm IN DIAMETER
 - DIP IT IN OIL SO THAT IT WON'T STICK
WHEN CUTTING THE SEMOLINA INTO GNOCCHI 

CUT THE SEMOLINA INTO ROUNDS OF 5cm DIAMETER
 - SCOOP UP THE OFF-CUTS AND USE THEM AGAIN .

SEMOLINA GNOCCHI, LAYERED NEATLY, OVERLAPPING,
 IN THE OVEN-PROOF DISH, BEFORE BAKING,
and SPRINKLED WITH MORE PARMESAN CHEESE

BAKING:

Grease an ovenproof dish.

Arrange the gnocchi, slightly overlapping each other, in neat rows, following the shape of the dish.

Sprinkle with the remaining grated 50g Parmesan cheese, and dot with the remaining 20g butter.

MOUTH-WATERING SEMOLINA GNOCCHI,
FRESH OUT OF THE OVEN....

Bake at 200*C for 20 minutes, or until begins to turn golden on the edges.

TO SERVE:

Serve as a first course (about 3 to 4 pieces per portion)… ( yields about 8 to 10 starter portions )

Or as a main meal too, about 6 pieces per portion.( yields 6 generous portions)

Serve with a chilled fresh tomato salsa on the side, and a garnish of fresh basil.

FRESH TOMATO SALSA - SERVE CHILLED...
JUST A SPOONFUL-OR-TWO PER PORTION.

INGREDIENTS  for Salsa

6 to 8 ripe tomatoes

8 fresh basil leaves

1 clove garlic

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Pinch of salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Method for salsa

 Blend all ingredients in processor, and serve chilled.

1 to 2  Tablespoons per serving.

                      *#* Award-winning $$$  recipe* ** 

So as usual – well almost… there will be a surprise!

  - so ‘til next week,

  

        ‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’

PS...




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