What’s your favorite comfort food? Do you prefer savory or
sweet? Maybe a hot fudge sundae topped with whipped cream puts you in a Zen
state. Maybe it’s a fresh-out-of-the-oven chicken pot pie with wild mushrooms or
mac n’ cheese with extra cheddar. For Chef Mirko Paderno, a plate of freshly
made gnocchi reminds him of home in Northern Italy. In
his Vinoteca and Culina kitchen, he showed how to make gnocchi.
Often served in upscale restaurants as a fine dining dish,
gnocchi is as basic to Italian home cooking as pasta. The sauces may change and
the markings on the little “pillows” may differ depending on the region, but
gnocchi is made with three basic ingredients: potatoes, flour and (most often) an egg.
Although there are a variety of opinions about how to make
gnocchi, for Paderno if you can boil water and roll out
a pie crust, you can make gnocchi. No special kitchen tools are required.
And, he loves gnocchi because of it's versatility. Perfect in winter with a hearty
meat sauce or in summer with a light pesto or butter sauce.
Making gnocchi is his yoga
Rolling out the dough puts Paderno into a relaxed, Zen state. On rainy days, he enjoys making gnocchi with his teenaged daughter.
A James Beard Nominee and a seasoned veteran of kitchens in
Italy and Los Angeles, he began his culinary career at the Four Seasons Hotel
Milan. With his appointment as Executive Chef at Culina and Vinoteca, he has
come full circle, returning to the Four Seasons family. In between, he worked in
some of Los Angeles’ best restaurants. Piero Selvaggio’s Primi, Cecconi’s,
Oliverio at the Viceroy and DTLA’s Officine BRERA.
But when he
was a teenager, he wasn’t certain what he was going to do with his life. That’s
when he enrolled at the Cesare Ritz School in Marano. At the time, he wasn’t that focused
on cooking. One of his teachers, Abramo
Magnani saw talent in him. But Magnani told him point blank, if he didn’t
focus and apply himself, his talent would never amount to anything. In one of those wonderful
moments when a person’s life changes forever in a good way, Paderno accepted
the challenge.
At Vinoteca and Culina, that determination has paid off. His
reworking of the menus has created dishes that give local diners an authentic
experience with modern Italian food. Unlike many hotel restaurants, Paderno
makes changes to the menu depending upon the seasons, the availability of
quality ingredients and feedback from his diners. He combines the California love of seasonal food with
Italian regional touches.
Reflecting that dual vision, Paderno worked with
Sommelier Amanda Craig who created a wine cellar with a comprehensive selection
of wines from around the world but especially from Italy and California. In a tasting
flight I selected she paired an Arneis from Piedmont with one from Santa Inez
and a Vermentino from Liguria with one from Arroyo Secco in California. The
differences were marked. All were delicious.
Gnocchi Made with Cold Potatoes
For Paderno, two details are key to
making the best gnocchi. The potatoes must be steamed over salted boiling water
so the flesh does not become water-logged. And, the dough must be made with
cold cooked potatoes so less flour is needed.
By using cold potatoes, the dough can
be prepared before the meal, even the day before. But if hot potatoes are used,
when the egg and flour are added, the gnocchi must be cooked immediately to
avoid becoming soggy.
Paderno uses Idaho russet potatoes
because they have a neutral flavor, the better to work with a variety of
sauces. But he suggests using any potato you enjoy, even sweet potatoes or
purple potatoes.
Paderno uses “00” flour which blends
easily with the potato. If “00” is not available, use all-purpose (AP) flour.
The amount of flour used partly
depends on the moisture of the cooked potatoes. Getting the right density takes
a bit of practice. The gnocchi dough should be not too dry and not too damp.
Like pastry dough, with a dusting of flour, the gnocchi should roll out without
sticking on the work surface. Watch the video to see Paderno’s technique.
Serves 8
Time to prepare: 30 minutes
Time to cook: 30 minutes
Total time: 60 minutes
Total time: 60 minutes
Ingredients
2.2 lbs. Idaho russet potatoes, washed, skin on
14 ounces “00” or AP flour
2 tablespoons AP flour for dusting
1 extra large egg
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Place a steamer
on the bottom of a large pot. Add water only to the bottom of the steamer. Season
with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil. Place potatoes in the pot.
Cover.
Depending on
the size of the potatoes, cook 20 minutes or until a paring knife can be inserted
into the potatoes easily. Add water as needed if more steaming is required. Remove
when the potatoes are soft but not mushy.
Allow
potatoes to cool. Peel and discard the skins or reserve to sauté for breakfast.
Run the cooked, peeled potatoes through a potato ricer or food mill using a
fine blade.
Sprinkle work
area with flour. Place potatoes on the work area. Create a “volcano,” the way
you do when making fresh pasta, with a depression in the middle of the mound.
Dust flour over the potato and place a raw egg into the center of
the volcano.
Using fingers,
work the egg, flour and potato together until all ingredients are combined.
Create a ball.
At this
point, the dough can be wrapped in plastic wrap or placed in an air-tight
container and refrigerated to use later or the next day.
Before cooking
the gnocchi, make a sauce. That can be as simple as a butter sauce with a
little pasta water or as complicated as a braised meat ragu.
Sprinkle the
work surface with flour. Work in batches. Cut off a cup of dough at a time.
Using both hands, fingers and palms, roll the potato dough back and forth until it
takes the shape of a dowel, about 1” in diameter.
The dough is forgiving so if the dowel breaks apart, start over.
Once you have
made a uniform shape, create individual gnocchi using a pastry cutter or
chefs knife. The gnocchi should be approximately 1” long.
It is
important to mark each gnocchi using a fork, your finger or a gnocchi board. The
indentations will help the sauce stick to each gnocchi.
Fill a large
pot with water. Add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Bring to a boil.
The gnocchi
cook quickly, anywhere from 30-60 seconds. To determine how much time is needed,
place several test gnocchi into the water. If the first gnocchi breaks apart,
either the water is boiling too fast and/or the potato dough needs more flour, in
which case you can return to the work area, gather up the gnocchi, sprinkle with
flour, knead together, roll out and cut again.
If your
gnocchi hold their shape, after 30 seconds remove one to taste. Then after 45
seconds. And another after 60 seconds. Decide which you like and use that
timing to make the rest.
Working in
batches, carefully drop a dozen gnocchi at a time into the boiling, salted
water.
Using a wire
strainer, remove the gnocchi from the boiling water.
Drain and add
to the heated sauce, which can be as simple as sautéed San Marzano tomatoes with olive oil or a tablespoon or two of pasta water mixed with melted butter like Rodolphe Le Meunier’s salted French Beurre de
Baratte.
Serve each
plate of gnocchi hot, topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Chef Mirko Paderno, Vinoteca and Culina, Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, 300 S. Doheny Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90048
Chef Mirko Paderno, Vinoteca and Culina, Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, 300 S. Doheny Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90048
