This is good! Simple and delicious! The gnocchi was quite easy to make. I formed the little dumplings using the homemade pastry bag method.......a ziploc bag! It is definitely worth the extra step of folding in a whipped egg white for lightness and fluff. Its important to not overcook the gnocchi! They loose their shape and texture; a minute after they come to the top of the boiling water is plenty. I learned this the hard way.
I used the cheese I had on hand which is some no longer identifiable hard white cheese and gruyere. Dorie's recipe called for 2 tablespoons of butter dotted over the top which I omitted; not by choice I just forgot it and it was fine. This is a very rich dish and holds its own without the addition of more butter.
The bechamel! I was happy to learn on the french friday website that I wasn't the only one having trouble with the sauce. The roux was way too tight and I knew it would not make a creamy sauce but followed the recipe anyhow. I ended up quite irritated......ranting and raving while I waved my wooden spoon. My husband walked in on this scene, poured me a glass of wine and exited!
All was well with the addition of more liquid and straining the sauce but I was annoyed at myself for not trusting my experience and knowledge and blindly following a recipe that was not working for me! When it was put together and safely in the oven I pulled out my Larousse. I learned the classic assumption of equal parts butter and flour for making a bechamel means equal by weight. 40 grams of butter and 40 grams of flour for 17 ounces of liquid. In my kitchen that means 3 tablespoons of butter and just over 5 tablespoons of flour to 2 cups liquid. Weights are much more accurate and I hope some day recipes will get away from cups and spoons.
We shared our dinner with a good friend and it was agreed this is a keeper! Add a crisp green salad dressed with a tart vinaigrette and we had a fabulous meal.
Check out the experiences of all the french friday cooks at www.frenchfridayswithdorie.com/?p=491 Next week its chocolate cake!!!
Always smart to have a glass of wine nearby, regardless of any cooking difficulties ;-)
ReplyDeleteI was glad to see that other people had problems with the bechamel, too. I felt like an idiot considering how many times I've made the sauce without problems. Your dish looks amazing.
ReplyDeleteIt was excellent.
ReplyDeleteI agree that relying on weight is better than relying on traditional measures. I haven't bought a kitchen scale yet, but plan to some time this year.
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