Home Made Gnocchi With Mornay Sauce Recipes

CLASSIC MORNAY SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the roux is pale yellow and frothy, about 1 minute. Do not allow the roux to brown. Slowly whisk in the milk and continue to whisk until the sauce thickens and comes to a boil, about 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and season with the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Allow to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. This is now called a bechamel sauce, and may be used as is to top any number of dishes.
• Stir in the cheese and whisk until melted. If the sauce seems to thick, thin with a little milk.
• The sauce is now called a Mornay Sauce. Pour over steamed vegetables and serve immediately. If not using right away, cool, cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several days.

PARISIAN GNOCCHI

Steps:

• 1. To make the pâte à choux, heat the water, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a saucepan over medium heat just until the butter is melted. Dump in all the flour at once and stir the mixture briskly for about 2 minutes, until the dough forms a smooth ball. Remove from the heat and scrape the dough into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (If you don't have a stand mixer, simply leave it in the bowl.) Let the dough sit for 3 minutes, stirring it every so often to release some of the heat.
• 2. With the mixer on medium-high speed, add the eggs one at a time, making sure each one is fully incorporated before adding the next. Add the dry mustard and beat until the dough is completely smooth. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and set aside.
• 3. To make the mornay sauce, melt the butter in the saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, letting the mixture bubble, stirring constantly for 2 minutes, until the paste is thickened. (Don't let it brown.) Gradually whisk in the milk, beginning slowly and stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
• 4. Decrease the heat to low and cook the mornay for 6 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the sauce is about as thick as a milkshake. Remove from heat and add the salt, cayenne, and 1/2 cup (40g) of the Swiss-style grated cheese; stir until the cheese is melted.
• 5. Butter a shallow 2 1/2- to 3-quart (2.5 to 3l) baking dish. (A wide dish is preferable to a deep one for browning the cheese topping.) Sprinkle half of the Parmesan over the bottom and sides. Spread 1 cup (250ml) of the mornay sauce over the bottom of the baking dish.
• 6. Line a large dinner plate with a few layers of paper towels. Bring a pot of salted water to a low boil. Either using two soupspoons-one to scoop up some of the dough and the other to scrape it into the boiling water-or a spring-loaded ice cream scoop filled partially full, scoop a round of the dough-about 1 generous tablespoon each-and drop it into the water. (The ice cream scoop was a little newfangled for Paule, although she did agree-reluctantly-that it was more expedient and made nicer gnocchi.) Working in batches, poach 8 to 10 gnocchi at a time. Let them poach for 2 minutes, then retrieve them from the water and drain them on the paper towels. (They won't be fully cooked inside.) Repeat, poaching the rest of the gnocchi the same way.
• 7. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) with the oven rack in the top third of the oven.
• 8. Once the gnocchi are parcooked, place them in a single layer on top of the mornay in the baking dish, and then spoon the rest of the mornay over the gnocchi in a fairly even layer. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/4 cups (100g) of Swiss-style cheese over the top, along with the remaining Parmesan. Put the baking dish on a foil-covered baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 400ºF (200ºC) and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese on top is well browned. Let cool a few minutes, and then serve in the baking dish, family style.

GNOCCHI WITH MORNAY CHEESE SAUCE

Steps:

• TO MAKE MORNAY SAUCE: Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add flour and stir for one minute. Add in 2 cups milk. Cook until thickened.
• Whisk in 3/4 cream to thin sauce and add 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
• TO MAKE GNOCCHI: In medium saucepan melt 1/3 cup butter in 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk. When butter has melted, season with salt and pepper. Remove saucepan from heat and add in 1 cup all purpose flour all at once. Whisk until smooth.
• Return saucepan to heat and, with a wooden spoon, cook until the mixture sizzles and comes away from the sides of the pan. (This is called a panade). Transfer to a large bowl and immediately cover surface with plastic wrap so that a skin does not form. Cool to room temperature.
• When mixture has cooled, add the eggs, one at a time. Do not add the next egg until the first is entirely absorbed. When the eggs have been fully incorporated add 3 1/2 ounces grated Gruyere cheese.
• BOILED VERSION: Bring water to a boil. Fill a pastry bag, fitted with a 3/4 inch tip with gnocchi mixture. Rest metal tip of pastry bag on edge of pan and press the dough out. As 1/2 inch of gnocchi dough emerges, cut with a knife or scissors and let the dough fall into the water.
• Do in batches of 20 or 30. Cook for 4-5 minutes, then remove gnocchi to a cloth towel with a slotted spoon (gnocchi will deflate as they cool). Serve sauce over cooked gnocchi.
• BAKED VERSION: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put some Mornay on bottom of a shallow 9x13 casserole dish. Fill a pastry bag, fitted with a 3/4 inch tip with gnocchi mixture. As 1/2 inch of gnocchi dough emerges, cut with a knife or scissors. Arrange gnocchi in one or, at most, two layers.
• Spread remaining sauce over top, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle top with 1/4 cup grated Gruyere. Bake for 45 minutes or until gnocchi have swollen up again and absorbed sauce. Serve immediately before gnocchi deflate.

TRIPLE CHEESE GNOCCHI IN A MUSHROOM MORNAY SAUCE

Steps:

• For the gnocchi, pare and steam the potatoes until they are fork tender. Puree.
• Blend the cheeses together.
• Blend the cheeses, potatoes and eggs together. Add the flour very slowly, mixing in after each addition. You want a very soft dough, not too stiff with flour or the gnocchi will be heavy and tough.
• Knead, creating a soft dough. Mold the dough into teaspoon size pieces. Place on a floured, inverted fork and press slightly. The tines will make ridges to help the sauce cling to the gnocchi.
• Start a large kettle of salted water to a rolling boil. While waiting on the water to boil, begin the mornay sauce.
• Heat the butter in a sauce pan and add the mushrooms, saute until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the flour and cook 2 minutes over low heat, adding drops of chicken broth as needed to keep from being too dry while cooking. Stir in the chicken broth and half & half. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Stir in the cheese and simmer for 2 more minutes. Keep sauce warm over very, very low heat.
• Drop the gnocchi into the salted boiling water. Cook for 3 minutes after the dumplings begin floating. Drain and place in large serving bowl. Top and toss with Mornay Sauce.

HOME-MADE GNOCCHI WITH MORNAY SAUCE

Steps:

• To make Mornay Sauce: Heat butter. Add flour and stir in 2 cups milk. Cook until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in 3/4 cream to thin sauce and add 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese.
• To make Gnocchi: Melt 1/3 cup butter in 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk. When butter has melted, season with salt and pepper. Remove saucepan from heat and add in 1 cup all purpose flour all at once. Whisk until smooth. Return saucepan to heat and, with a wooden spoon, cook until the mixture sizzles and comes away from the sides of the pan. (You are making a panade). With a rubber spatula transfer to a baking pan and immediately cover surface with plastic wrap so that a skin does not form. Cool to room temperature. Transfer cooled mixture to a bowl and work in, one at a time, 4 large eggs. Do not add the next egg until the first is entirely absorbed. When all the four has been incorporated add 3 1/2 ounces grated Gruyere cheese.
• To cook Gnocchi: Bring water to a boil. Fill a pastry bag, fitted with a 3/4 inch tip with gnocchi mixture. Rest metal tip of pastry bag on edge of pan and press the dough out. As 1/2 inch of gnocchi dough emerges, with a knife cut off dough and let it fall into the water. Do in batches of 20 or 30. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then remove gnocchi to a cloth towel with a slotted spoon.(gnocchi will deflate as they cool).
• To bake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put some Mornay on bottom of a shallow gratin dish and arrange gnocchi in one or, at most, two layers. Spread remaining sauce over top, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle top with 1/4 cup grated Gruyere and bake for 45 minutes or until gnocchi have swollen up again and absorbed sauce. Serve immediately before gnocchi deflate.

GNOCCHI PARISIENNE (FRENCH STYLE GNOCCHI)

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, heat milk and butter over medium heat. As soon as it comes to a simmer, reduce heat to low. With a wooden spoon, stir in flour. Continue to stir until a smooth dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan.
• Place the dough in a large bowl and beat in the mustard using a mixer or a wooden spoon. Continue to beat for a minute. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until each is incorporated, about 2 minutes between each egg. The dough should be thick enough to pipe.
• In a large pot, bring water seasoned with salt to a boil. Fill a piping bag fitted with a 3/4 inch (2 cm) tip, or a large ziploc bag with 3/4 inch (2 cm) cut off the corner, with the gnocchi dough. Flour scissors or a sharp knife and pipe 1/2 of the dough into the boiling water, cutting to dough into 1-1 1/2 inch pieces as it comes out of the bag and into the water. As soon as the gnocchi rise to the surface, remove with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel lined baking sheet in a single layer. Repeat with remaining half of dough. Place baking sheet in the refrigerator, uncovered, for at least an hour.
• While the gnocchi are drying, make mornay sauce. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in flour until bubbling, 1-2 minutes. Slowly pour in wine while continuing to whisk. Slowly pour in milk. Continue to whisk until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in the grated cheese and nutmeg. If the gnocchi need more time to dry or the sauce is being prepared in advance, cover the top with plastic wrap so it is touching the surface to prevent skin from forming and refrigerate. Reheat over medium low heat when ready to serve.
• In a large, non-stick frying pan, melt butter and oil over high heat. Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Stir in rosemary and continue to cook until darkened and cooked through, another minute. Remove to a bowl and wipe skillet clean.
• Return skillet to stove and drizzle 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over high heat. Once thoroughly heated and smoking, add gnocchi in batches, shaking pan to brown on all sides. Remove to serving bowls and repeat with remaining gnocchi. Top each bowl with a few sauteed mushrooms before adding mornay sauce.
• Serve immediately.