Cherry Valley Dairy Truffled Ricotta Dumplings
REDMOND / Pomegranate Bistro
Tana Mielke
- 2 cups Cherry Valley Dairy whey ricotta
- 6 egg yolks
- ½ cup Cherry Valley Dairy premium reserve cheese, finely grated
- 1 cup and 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons Cherry Valley Dairy PNW truffle butter
- 1 tablespoon pink peppercorn
- Semolina as needed
FOR THE DUMPLINGS
In a bowl, combine ricotta, egg yolks, cheese and salt until fully incorporated. Sprinkle with sifted flour and work into cheese mixture, being careful not to overwork. This will keep dumplings like soft, pillowy clouds. Form into a disc and turn out onto kitchen film. Wrap tightly. Refrigerate 2 to 24 hours.
After dough has rested, remove from film and cut off a 2-inch section. Place section on a lightly floured work surface (wood is best). With open hands, using only your palms, gently apply pressure to the top of the dough and roll from the center, working to the ends until a rope forms and measures about ¾ inch in diameter. With a floured bench scraper or knife, cut ropes in ¾-inch pieces. Don’t worry if they are imperfect. Toss in semolina and lay out on sheet tray or plate. If you don’t plan to use dumplings immediately, freeze them.
FOR THE DISH
Start a pot of boiling water and season liberally with salt so that it tastes like seawater. Add dumplings (fresh or frozen) to boiling water and boil for about 2 minutes. You will know they are done when they float.
Before dumplings are cooked, start your sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter. Transfer the now-cooked dumpling to the pan, adding a couple ounces of cooking water with each portion. Keeping the pan moving (either swirling or tossing), add 2 tablespoons of truffle butter per serving. The cooking liquid and butter will emulsify. Be careful not to apply too much heat during this process or the butter will separate. If it seems like this is happening, add a little more water.
In the final moment, add a pinch of pink peppercorn. Spoon dumplings onto a plate, garnish with a little more peppercorn, and if you like, more cheese or shaved truffles.
Pappardelle with Brown Butter Hazelnut Ragu
EASTSOUND / The Mansion
Raymond Southern
- 8 ounces fresh pappardelle pasta (or dried pasta if fresh is not available)
- ½ cup hazelnuts, skins removed
- 1 bunch fresh thyme, leaves only
- Olive oil, for sautéing
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
FOR TOASTED HAZELNUTS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spread hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast until golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven, peel off skin, let cool and chop coarsely. Set aside.
FOR BROWN BUTTER
Place butter in a small pan and cook on high heat until it just starts to bubble. Turn down heat and continue to cook until butter is very dark brown and starts to smell like toasted nuts. Remove from heat and pour right away into a cold non-reactive container so the butter will stop cooking. Refrigerate at least one hour or until the mixture is solidified.
Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add hazelnuts to lightly toast. Season with salt and pepper and add heavy cream and white wine.
- 1 ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup white wine
- 2 ounces Cherry Valley Dairy whey ricotta
- ½ cup Cherry Valley Dairy cultured butter
optional
- Soft poached egg
- Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Bring the cream to a boil, then simmer until reduced by almost half.
While the sauce is cooking, boil the pasta to your desired doneness, or per package instructions.
When the sauce has reduced, toss in the cooked pasta. If the sauce is too thick, add a touch of pasta water. Toss in whey ricotta, fresh thyme and stir in 1 tablespoon of the solidified brown butter. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. Serve immediately in warm dishes.
Optional: Top pasta with a lightly poached egg and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The runny yolk will add another level of richness to the dish.
