There are always loads of recipes I'd like to try but lose them before I do. This is where I can record recipes I find interesting and keep notes on my experiments with them.

I have a system that I've adopted for working through recipes:

1 - New recipes are saved to the Experimental Mouffette and is labeled : Untested
2 - As I'm working out the changes I'd like to make (if any) it is labeled : Testing
3 - Once I think I've got the correct formula it is labeled : Test 1
4 - IF I am able to reproduce the effect a second time it is labeled : Test 2 - if I am not able to reproduce the effect, it remains Test 1
5 - The same process as step 4 is used to graduate it to Test 3
6 - Once I have been able to reproduce the effect successfully 3 times, it graduates to my main blog, La Mouffette Gourmande

European Union visitors, please visit the following link concerning cookies (the computer kind, not he eating kind) Blogger cookies

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Untested - Nettle Ravioli with Sage Butter

http://latavolamarche.blogspot.ca/2011/04/tongue-tingling-pasta-stinging-nettle.html

1 cup cooked stinging nettle
1/2 cup of sheep’s milk ricotta (you can try other cheeses you like as well.)
Pinch of salt and pepper
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan
1 tsp lemon juice
Pasta Dough
2 cups flour (or try 3oz flour per egg)
3 eggs
pinch salt
Sauce
2-3 Tbsps butter
Handful fresh sage leaves, stems removed

  1. Bring salted water to a boil and cook the nettles. Drain and squeeze to thoroughly dry.
  2. Roughly chop nettles and put in a bowl along with salt, pepper and cheeses and mix thoroughly. TIP - the mixture should be pretty dry; if it's too wet that'll transfer to the pasta when you're making the ravioli and you'll have a tough time. To dry the mixture, line a colander with cheese cloth, dump in the mixture and weight it down with a few plates to help press out the excess liquid.
  3. Before making the pasta dough, mix in the lemon juice and set aside.
  4. On a board or the counter, make a mound of flour, sprinkle on the salt, create a bowl in the centre of the flour mound, crack in the eggs and start combining with your fingers. You should end up with a very dry dough, almost cracking. Cover and allow to rest for 1 hour. After an hour, knead for about 10 minutes before running it through the pasta machine.
  5. Divide the dough into two balls and roll as thin as you can (1/8" or thinner) or run through the pasta machine up to the thinnest setting. If the dough is sticky when you're rolling it, there isn't enough flour, so sprinkle some on, fold, and run it through again until it becomes a nice smooth sheet.
  6. To stuff the ravioli, lay out one sheet. Evenly space out small lumps of the filling allowing plenty of room of virgin dough to make a good seal. Brush around the filling with water.
  7. Lay the second sheet on top, smoothing out and pressing gently to make the two sheets touch around the stuffing and seal with the help of the dampened bottom sheet (this last bit can also be done after cutting the shapes).
  8. Cut out the ravioli in circles or squares with a knife or pasta cutter. Press out any remaining air bubbles and be OCD about pressing the edges a lot.
  9. Put a large pot filled with salted water to boil and bring it to a simmer. Throw in the ravioli and cook until they float to the top - test one to make sure it's cooked and drain.
  10. In a pan melt the butter and gently fry the save leaves for about a minute. Allow to cool a bit before very gently frying the ravioli.
  11. Raise the heat and throw in the cooked pasta with a bit of pasta water.
  12. Season with salt and pepper and serve!
  13. If making some to freeze, cook ravioli for about 4 minutes, throw into an ice bath and then to drain and dry on towels before laying on parchment paper over a cookie sheet to freeze.


No comments:

Post a Comment