Gaslights Gnocchi Fumee

This was my ask a chef.  I submitted it and after 5 months there is was!  In the news newspaper!  I had lost hope but it finally happened.  It was nice to see something other than a slice or deserts.  It didn't quite turn out how I would of liked it however it was good to give it a go!

Recipe from Gaslight via the ODT

Gnocchi dough

400g potatoes, boiled then mashed

2 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

250g flour (they use Dover premium bakers flour)

a pinch of salt

Fungi fumee

25g finely sliced red onion

25g finely sliced leek

50g button mushrooms

25g field mushrooms

25g prosciutto, finely sliced (they use Havoc fumee)

25g jowl bacon cut into fine lardons (they use Havoc jowl bacon from the pigs' cheeks)

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp dried wild mushrooms (they use forestier) soaked and blended with water

fresh herb mix, finely chopped (they use chives, chervil and Italian flat-leafed parsley)

white truffle oil

Method

To make the gnocchi:

Boil the potatoes as if you are going to make mash, but keep them as dry as possible. Mix until they are a smooth mash. Beat in the eggs and yolks.

Add flour and combine to make a dough. You may need more flour depending on how wet the mix is. Wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll into sausages no thicker than your thumb. Pinch and cut the sausages into little pillow shapes.

To cook, drop into boiling water. When they float to the top they are done.

To make the sauce:

In a hot pan put a squirt of canola oil. Add the onion, leek, sliced mushrooms. Add the prosciutto and lardons and fry until golden brown.

Add the soaked wild mushrooms and your cooked gnocchi. Season to taste and finish with herbs and a drizzle of white truffle oil.

Recipe from Gaslight via the ODT

http://www.odt.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/223578/ask-chef-gaslights-gnocchi-fungi-fumee

The Student Project + The Pasta Project = A creamy tomato pasta sauce.

While I was pigging out on cheese and wine yesterday, I was shown a new cook book someone had bought.  It was a pasta cook book. It was by far one of the best cookbooks I have ever seen. I cant remember who it was by but I will find out for you.  The photos were wonderful and the recipes were achievable and  very inspiring.  It reminded me of a pasta sauce I made a while back but forgot about.  Its delish!  I have made it a few times now and it is just soooooooo easy..... and cheap! and we all know I love to do things on a budget. I would say this would be about roughly $5 per meal.

Creamy Tomato Pasta Sauce.

Ingredients

3/4 of a can of tinned tomatoes -Watties crushed & seived are the best

1/2 of a large white onion diced

100 mls of cream (you can use more, I just add more depending on the taste

1 heaped teaspoon on crushed Garlic

olive oil. 

good pinch of grated parmesan

Salt to taste

Method

Add some oil to a frypan on meduim to high heat , add the diced onions and cook till transparent.  Add the garlic and fry off till flavours combine.

Add the tinned tomatoes and cook for a few minuets till all the flavours combine.

Add the cream and stir through.  I would taste the sauce at this point to see if you need to add more cream.

  Once the sauce is right, add the parmesan cheese  and stir through.  Taste again and see if you  need more parmesan or salt and add what is required.

I have served this with packet pasta and also the potato ravioli.

 It was sensational with the potato ravioli I made a while back!

Thats it!

Gaslight Cafe Fail

It really pains me to write this post. I actually had the WORST meal here last Friday for a work lunch.  It bothers me because I have had such a good experience here prior to this meal.  My good word of mouth( I told EVERYONE THAT WOULD LISTEN HOW GOOD IT WAS) has been potentially wasted by a really poorly plated meal.   I am actually biting my tongue on this because I will say something that I will regret. 

What was worse was the waitress gave us really poor service.  She was unfriendly, we had to ask for parmesan in a Italian restaurant. When the parmesan arrived it was only enough for one and 4 people had to share it.  No wine list was offered, we had to ask for it.  My wine was not served on the table well either. It was dumped next to me. I thought waitresses were trained to up sell with wine... even at lunch?

My advise? Please make sure you plate what is on the menu.  Not congealed pasta with a few mushrooms on top with no taste.  No truffle oil.  My pasta was glugged together

This goes for any restaurant that decides to do $10 meals. If you are going to do this, then do it well.  Dunedin is too small for screw ups.

Looks good, but tasteless....

Images by me.

Gaslight!!! Owners and Chef, I have not given up on you.  Please don't disappoint me again.

PS the wine was sensational. Peregrine Sav Blanc.

Alfredo Gnocchi

I decided to make this after my partner had it at a local restaurant here in Dunedin.  He really loved it- I had a go and it wasn't too bad... Quite tasty! I was going to try and make the gnocchi myself but I have had a gnocchi fail in the past so decided to try it with shop bought gnocchi instead.

• 
  
• Ingredients:
• 
  
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Shop Bought Gnocchi

Method:

Boil water with salt and add Gnocchi.  Once Gnocchi floats wait a minuet or 2 then it is ready 

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes, then add garlic and cheese and whisk quickly, heating through. Stir in parsley and serve.