Gnocchi know-how

For many years I have always wondered why my Gnocchi and Perogi mash is quite heavy. Well I finally found out the secret is to roast the potatoes on a bed of rock salt which draws out excess moisture resulting in a lighter, fluffier gnocchi.

 

Potato Gnocchi

Serves 4 as a side, or 2 healthy eaters.

1 cup rock salt

4 large (800g total) Desiree potatoes

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup plain flour

Potatoes roasting on a bed of rock salt

Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Place rock salt in centre of large baking tray. Place potatoes on top. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until tender. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool. 

Push all the potato through the sieve

 

Cut potatoes in half and rub the potato through a fine sieve until only the skin remains. Alternately, remove and discard skin from potatoes. Using a potato ricer, process potato flesh into a large bowl. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. 

Add sea salt, yolks and half of the flour to potato. Using a wooden spoon, stir to combine. Turn dough onto a well-floured (the other half cup of flour) surface. Knead gently until smooth. Divide into 4 portions. Roll 1 portion into a 30cmlong log. Using a lightly floured knife, cut into 2cm pieces. Using a lightly floured fork, press each piece to make an indentation. Place on a tray lined with baking paper. Cover with a clean tea towel. Repeat with remaining portions. 

By adding only half the flour at a time it prevents you from adding too much flour to the mix and drying it out by the time you roll the dough.

Roll into logs and cut

Pillows of heaven

 

 

 

 

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil over high heat. Add one-third of the gnocchi. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until gnocchi rises to surface. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a large bowl. Cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining gnocchi. If re-frying gnocchi sprinkle with a little olive oil to stop from sticking together.

Ready when gnocchi are floating on the surface

 Gently stir in desired sauce or pan fry with other ingredients. Serve topped with parmesan.

Kapusta Rolls

One of the main traditional dishes that my mum always cooks are "Kapusta" or cabbage rolls.

Golabki (pronounced ga-WUMP-kee) means "little pigeons" in Polish and is a reference to their size and shape. These stuffed cabbage rolls simmered in a tomato sauce are popular throughout Eastern Europe. In Russia they are known as golubtsy and in Ukraine as Holubtsi (or as my Nana called them). Legend has it that a king of Poland fed his army with golabki before a key battle in 1465 and the subsequent victory was credited to this hearty meal beforehand. 

 

My old original recipe

1 large Cabbage 

500g minced beef

500g minced pork

1 large onion, chopped

2 cups cooked rice 

(the grains should still be firm to the touch)

1 egg

Salt and Pepper

Paprika

Chopped Parsley

Tomato Soup 

Water

Fresh chopped parsley

Fill a very large stockpot three-quarters full with water and bring to a rapid boil. While bringing the water to a boil, use a thin, sharp knife to make deep cuts around the core of the large cabbage (cut into the cabbage in a circle about 1/4 inch out from the core). 

Lift out the core, making a hole about 2 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches deep. Stick a long cooking fork into the core hole of the large cabbage, and carefully plunge it into the pot of rapidly boiling water. The outer leaves will begin to fall off. Leave them in the boiling water for a few minutes until they're limp and flexible enough for stuffing; then take them out one at a time, and drain. Try not to tear the leaves. When all the usable leaves are removed, wash the leaves carefully in cold water. Find your largest leaves, and set them out on a plate.

As you remove leaves, some will tear and otherwise not be suitable for using as a wrapper. Do not discard these, as they can be used to line the pot. Trim thick centre vein from bottom of each leaf.

Mix onions, minced meat, rice, paprika, salt and pepper. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of meat mixture onto wider end of flattened out leaf. Roll leaf up and over meat, tuck in sides of leaf, and continue to roll to use all leaves and meat mixture. Fold in sides and roll from wide end to narrower end.

 

 Place all cabbage rolls into casserole dish and lined with flat cabbage leaves, cover after half filling with water.

Pour a can of tomato soup over the entire top, top with parsley and cover with tight fitting lid. I sometimes fry onion, garlic and diced ham and add to the sauce for extra flavour before cooking.

Cook at a med low heat for 1.5 hours until thoroughly cooked and cabbage is tender. I like to put mine in the slow cooker on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

  

So, as the Polish say,

"Jedzcie, pijcie i popuszczajcie pasa"... "Eat, drink and loosen your belt".

Sunday Morning Crumpet

It has been a while since I have uploaded any blogs. That's not to say I haven't written any lately. I had quite a few waiting for me to insert photos but it looks like the Blogger layout has changed and I am not sure if they were deleted. Until I find them, here is a new one to get your taste-buds going.  Hope you enjoy the crumpets as much as Heath and I did.

Love Barbie xxx

Home-made Crumpets

 

2 tsp. (7g/1 sachet) dried yeast
2 tsp. caster sugar
1/2 cup (125ml) warm milk
1/2 cup (125ml) warm water
1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (125ml) water, extra
1/2 tsp. bicarbonate of soda
100g butter, softened

  

Combine the yeast, sugar, milk and water in a medium bowl.  

Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 10 minutes, or until foaming.  (I turned the oven on low and put the bowl on a tea-towel on the open oven door since the house was cold) 

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl.  

Make a well in the centre and add the milk mixture.  

Stir until well combined.  

Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 1 hour or until mixture doubles in size. 

(I put back onto the open oven door) 

Combine the extra water and bicarbonate of soda in a jug.  

Use a balloon whisk to whisk the flour mixture until it deflates to the original size.  

Gradually add the water mixture, whisking well between each addition, until well combined and smooth.  

Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes to rest. 

  

Brush a large non-stick frying pan with oil to grease.

 (I only had a stainless steel frypan so used baking paper in the pan). 

Brush 5 egg rings with oil to lightly grease.

 Place frying pan over medium-low heat. Pour 2 tbs of mixture into the egg rings in pan and cook for 5 minutes or until bubbles rise to the surface and base is golden and top is set.  

Turn and cook for 1 minute or until lightly golden.  

Transfer to a wire rack.  

Continue in 2 more batches with remaining batter.

Yummy hot and fresh or toasted with butter and honey. If you are anything like us we found the yeast in them filled us up so I have put some in the fridge and freezer for another day.