RICHMOND, Va - Chef Matt McMillin, of Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant, whipped up a creamy and delicious Gnocchi Carbonara. This delicious Italian dish is completed with pancetta, chicken sage, peas, and a parmesan garlic cream sauce, topped off with freshly shaved parmesan cheese. For more information you can visit online at www.coopershawkwinery.com.
CH Gnocchi Carbonara
Yield: Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
2 TBL Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 TBL Butter
2-1/8” Thick Slices Pancetta, cut into 1/4'”x1” slices
20 oz Cooked Gnocchi, Precooked and Cooled (Use store bought or use recipe below)
2 each Garlic Cloves, Thinly Sliced
1/2 cup Cooper’s Hawk Chardonnay
1 cup Fresh Chicken Stock
2 ½ Cups Heavy Cream
8oz Pulled Rotisserie Chicken
Kosher Salt and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper to Taste
2 TBL Fresh Sage, Finely Chopped
½ cup Peas
1/3 Cup Regianno Parmesan Cheese, Grated
Procedure
In a medium-hot pan, add 2 TBL Extra Virgin Olive Oil and 2 TBL of butter. When butter melts and turns slightly brown, add sliced pancetta. Toss until pancetta starts to brown. Add Gnocchi and toss until gnocchi browns slightly, 3-4 minutes. Add Garlic and toss until garlic softens, about 1 minute. Do not brown garlic.
Add wine and reduce by half, add chicken stock, reduce by half and add cream and bring to simmer. Begin to reduce sauce and add gnocchi and simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Add Rotisserie Chicken and toss. Season to taste with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Add sage, peas and ½ of the parmesan cheese and stir to incorporate.
Remove to a platter and garnish with freshly shaved Parmesan Cheese.
Making fresh Gnocchi
Ingredients:
1 Pound Golden Yukon Potatoes
3 to 4 Large Egg Yolks
1/2 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 tsp Freshly Grated Nutmeg
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting board and dough
Method
Bake the potatoes in a preheated 400 degrees F oven for 1 hour until fork tender. Let sit until cool enough to handle, cut in half, and scoop out the flesh.
Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer. Make a mound of potatoes on a table or work surface with a well in the middle, like making pasta, add 3 of the egg yolks, the cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix in the potatoes and mix well with fingers. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of flour over the mound and, using your fingers, press it into the potatoes. Fold the dough over on itself and press down again. Sprinkle on more flour, little by little, folding and pressing the dough until it just holds together, (do not to knead it.) Work any dough clinging to your fingers back into the dough. If the mixture is too dry, add another egg yolk or a pinch of water. To test if the dough is the correct consistency, take a piece and roll it with your hands on a well-floured board into a rope 1/2-inch in diameter. If the dough holds together, it is ready. If not, add more flour, fold and press the dough several more times, test again.
Keeping work surface and dough lightly floured, cut the dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 1/2-inch in diameter. Cut into 1/2-inch-long pieces. Lightly flour the gnocchi as you cut them. You can cook these as is or form them into the classic gnocchi shape using the back of a large fork.
As you shape the gnocchi, dust them lightly with flour and scatter them on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
When ready to cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a few TBL of salt. Drop in the gnocchi and cook for about 90 seconds from the time they rise to the surface. Remove the cooked gnocchi with a skimmer, shake off the excess water, toss with a bit of oil and cool on a sheet pan in refrigerator until ready to use.
