Ricotta Dumplings & Sungold Tomatoes
& last minute recipe writing
Over the weekend I hosted a cooking & photography class with the lovely photographer Lyric Lewin. What is inherently something I love to do (talking and teaching about food and cooking) can often be frighteningly time consuming to prepare for. People need recipes: well documented, written down, easy to use recipes. A composed recipe is liken to sheet music for a musician. Chefs cook by instinct- a little of this and a little of that. Adjusting as needed along the way. Writing it down and getting precise measurements can change the end result, and not always for the better. It’s like some of the alchemy, the magic of little adjustments that are there because good food is slightly different each time you cook it, disappears. A recipe can never be exact unless you cook in the same kitchen the recipe was made, in the same pans, with the same exact product. But a recipe, at its very best, is a guide through the technique that gets you to a similar result.
The night before I had to head out for the cooking class I wrote a recipe for sungold tomato sauce. I have used this very easy to make, best in summer sauce for years. I made a quick batch in less than 20 minuets. During the class, which had 15 students, I was merely a guide as participants made the dumplings and the sauce. To my absolute delight, the sauce turned out perfectly. I was outwardly thrilled, and inwardly relieved. I knew this sauce from years of quickly making it and the golden elixir that is the magic of slow cooking tomatoes with olive oil and garlic are attainable with this simple recipe.
Here are a few quick tips that make these two recipes the best they can be.
For the Ricotta Dumplings:
1.Drain your ricotta. Unless your ricotta is bone dry already, drain it. I like to get a colander, line it with cheesecloth, and place the ricotta in. Cover with cheese cloth and then weight it down- heavily weigh it down. I use 4 ceramic bowls. Then put it in the fridge to drain off excess water for 12 to 24 hours. Ricotta with a low moisture content is a key to good dumplings.
2.Do not boil your dumpling. Salt your water, bring it to a boil, but once those dumplings get in that water do not let it boil. They like to poach. They are delicate little pillows. If they boil, they will bloat out and fall apart. The water should very gently simmer. Similar to the water you would poach an egg in.
For the Sungold Sauce:
1. In season is best, I find in peak season they have thinner skin and taste of the sun.
2.Low and slow is the key to the beautiful golden sweet sauce. Cook on medium-low. You do not want any color or caramelization. Gently stir and swirl the pan often, but just let them cook down slowly and you will be rewarded.
MY FAVORITE THINGS THIS WEEK
COOKING TOMATOES
Tomato season in the South moves quickly. Here in Savannah we are in our last weeks of the season. It gets too hot come August for the tomatoes to fruit. Eat them now, in their peak. There is no easier meal than tomatoes doused in good olive oil and sea salt accompanied by crusty bread. Linked is a southern favorite- the tomato sandwich.
WATCHING BEEF
Smart, funny, engrossing from the start. I watched it too quickly, I only have one episode to go. Bonus- the late 90’s soundtrack and age of the main characters made this show eerily familiar. My Southern California upbringing may be to blame.
READING THE ZUNI CAFE COOKBOOK
There is an image of Judy Rodgers from an old issue of Gourmet. It is taken from behind her and what you see is her hair pulled back into a bun at the nape of her neck, with several pencils woven in. The image of a female Chef in service on the expo line, an image I have live in. I never had the good fortune to eat her food but in reading this book I get the opportunity to meet the woman I admire. Maybe I can cook up her famous roasted chicken in an upcoming recipe…
COOK THIS: RICOTTA DUMPLINGS & SUNGOLD TOMATOES
Ricotta Dumplings
(This recipe is also in The Saltwater Table)
Serves 4-6
12 ounces whole milk ricotta, well drained
¼ cup Parmesan, finely grated
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
¾ cup all-purpose flour plus ½ cup for dusting
The night before you make this, strain the ricotta in a fine mesh sieve lined with a cheese- cloth and weighed down. You want to try to remove as much excess whey as you can. If your ricotta is very wet, it will need more flour.
In a bowl combine ricotta, parmesan, and salt. In a separate small bowl crack the egg and beat it. Add to the ricotta. Sift ¾ cup of the flour into the ricotta mixture. Use your hands to work the flour into the ricotta creating a dough. The dough should not be wet and sticky. Add more flour as needed. Be gentle with the dough, too much flour and kneading make dense dumplings. You want them to be airy and light.
Cut the dough in half. On a floured work surface, roll the dough into the shape of a rope. Use flour on your hands and the table to keep the dough from sticking. Line a sheet tray with a kitchen towel dusted with flour. Cut the dumplings into ½ inch rounds and lay on the sheet tray. Refrigerate. Repeat with remaining dough. Chill for 30 minutes. Optional: Use a gnocchi paddle to roll the dough and create ridges. The dough will keep well. It can be kept in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
When ready to serve, fill a pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a very gentle simmer. Place half of the dumplings in the pot and cook until they begin to rise to the top and are cooked through, about 4 minutes. Cook time will vary depending on the size. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and repeat with remaining dumplings.
After I remove the dumplings from the water I like to toss them in 1 tablespoon of melted butter and add a light sprinkle of kosher salt.
Sungold Tomato Sauce
Serves 3-4
¼ cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
½ oz onion, shaved thinly
8 oz sungold tomatoes, cut in half
1 tsp salt
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons parsley, finely chopped
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add in garlic and onion, saute briefly for 30 seconds. Add in tomatoes and salt. Gently stir. Reduce heat to medium-low. Gently stir and swirl the pan often until tomatoes begin to burst, 10-12 minuets. You are not looking for any caramelization. Add in butter and when fully melted, remove pan from the heat. Add in parsley and gently stir. Use immediately.