Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 6:07 pm
Those of you who know, know I was a chef's assistant at the ripe old age of 17. Here is my daily offering.
You have no idea what she will do for you if you can make heart shaped ravioli...
INGREDIENTS
¢¢¬‚¢ 2 cups semolina flour (must be semolina!)
¢¢¬‚¢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
¢¢¬‚¢ 1/2 cup warm water
¢¢¬‚¢ Any meat or vegetables fillings for the ravioli.
DIRECTIONS
1. Mix flour and salt with hands liberally; add spices to taste.
2. Add warm water to the dough base while stirring flour and salt.
3. Increase water if dough seems too dry. Or add clarified butter or oil (warm)
4. Pat the dough into a ball and turn out onto a lightly floured chopping block.
5. Knead for 10 to 15 minutes. Cover. Let dough rest for 20 minutes.
Use this time to make sure the filling is prepared, making sure all vegetables and meat are cooked completely, and giving time to thicken, drain, and cool before filling pasta. Oven roasting is the preferred method, as it is less greasy, and will make your work much easier, and your pasta much firmer.
6. Cut dough into quarters, to work with smaller amounts. Keep covered.
7. Roll out dough to 1/16¢¢¬‚ with rolling pin and shape square by hand.
8. Cut pasta square into number of triangles or other desired shapes.
9. Thoroughly but lightly brush olive oil onto the side of the pasta that will be filled.
10. Add fresh black or pink pepper over the pasta, filling side up.
11. Apply filling in dollups, and fold pasta immediately. Be sure not to overfill.
12. Cinch edges with fingertips or knife edge to create seal.
13. Turn ravioli upside down, and let sit three minutes to ensure seal.
14. Cook fresh noodles in boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes. Drain.
Sample Fillings (if you can dice it or shred it, you can stuff it and serve it!)
*shredded carrot, red onion, lemon pepper, chicken (diced), katamala olive
*beef sausage (skinned and chopped), roasted garlic, orange zest, fresh basil and oregano
*chopped bacon, shrimp, diced raw celery, saut‚©ed mushroom, fresh chives
NOTE:
There are two very careful things to watch when making Ravioli; the filling and the sauce. The true to form standard for the filling tolerance is in both volume and weight. Practice makes perfect, and there is no better measure than experience. Remember, though: Less filling is always better than ruining your dish! Ravioli can be served with any sauce, or no sauce. If serving no sauce, freshen up with some olive oil after boiling. The sauce can be hot or cold. If serving with a cold sauce, make sure ravioli is thoroughly chilled and tossed gently in regular intervals. If served with a hot sauce, the ravioli should NOT be given the olive oil treatment, as the stickyness of the pasta will let the sauce stick to the ravioli better. Under NO (and I mean NO) circumstances should the ravioli be boiled in the sauce, as it destroys the texture of the pasta, and can over-expose the filling to heat, which can cause the ravioli to break apart. Thus if the pasta is added to the sauce, it should go off of the stove, and into the oven, at a low baking temperature.
Sample hot sauce:
Process to desired thickness, six roma tomatoes, ‚¼ red onion, two sticks of celery heart, zest of half a lemon, salt and pepper, one cup of mushroom broth fresh basil, oregano, and stew until darkish red at med heat, careful to not allow burning edges occur. Lower heat, and stir in 3 tsp maza flour to thicken (adjust accordingly) accordingly. Mix one shot of vodka with 1 teaspoon of mildish hot sauce, and 1 tsp lemon juice. Stir into sauce, and let sit on low heat for five minutes. Remove from heat.
Sample cool sauce:
Mix in plastic bottle, 1 part fresh basil, 1 parts raspberry vinegrette, 2 part Italian dressing, two tsp balsamic vinegar. Shake vigorously to achive emulsification (or blend). Plate ravioli over mache, arugula, romaine or other greens (blend is the key!) add red onion, mushrooms (add a scoop of lump crab meat and small boiled Yukon gold potatoes for a more filling dish.)
You have no idea what she will do for you if you can make heart shaped ravioli...
INGREDIENTS
¢¢¬‚¢ 2 cups semolina flour (must be semolina!)
¢¢¬‚¢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
¢¢¬‚¢ 1/2 cup warm water
¢¢¬‚¢ Any meat or vegetables fillings for the ravioli.
DIRECTIONS
1. Mix flour and salt with hands liberally; add spices to taste.
2. Add warm water to the dough base while stirring flour and salt.
3. Increase water if dough seems too dry. Or add clarified butter or oil (warm)
4. Pat the dough into a ball and turn out onto a lightly floured chopping block.
5. Knead for 10 to 15 minutes. Cover. Let dough rest for 20 minutes.
Use this time to make sure the filling is prepared, making sure all vegetables and meat are cooked completely, and giving time to thicken, drain, and cool before filling pasta. Oven roasting is the preferred method, as it is less greasy, and will make your work much easier, and your pasta much firmer.
6. Cut dough into quarters, to work with smaller amounts. Keep covered.
7. Roll out dough to 1/16¢¢¬‚ with rolling pin and shape square by hand.
8. Cut pasta square into number of triangles or other desired shapes.
9. Thoroughly but lightly brush olive oil onto the side of the pasta that will be filled.
10. Add fresh black or pink pepper over the pasta, filling side up.
11. Apply filling in dollups, and fold pasta immediately. Be sure not to overfill.
12. Cinch edges with fingertips or knife edge to create seal.
13. Turn ravioli upside down, and let sit three minutes to ensure seal.
14. Cook fresh noodles in boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes. Drain.
Sample Fillings (if you can dice it or shred it, you can stuff it and serve it!)
*shredded carrot, red onion, lemon pepper, chicken (diced), katamala olive
*beef sausage (skinned and chopped), roasted garlic, orange zest, fresh basil and oregano
*chopped bacon, shrimp, diced raw celery, saut‚©ed mushroom, fresh chives
NOTE:
There are two very careful things to watch when making Ravioli; the filling and the sauce. The true to form standard for the filling tolerance is in both volume and weight. Practice makes perfect, and there is no better measure than experience. Remember, though: Less filling is always better than ruining your dish! Ravioli can be served with any sauce, or no sauce. If serving no sauce, freshen up with some olive oil after boiling. The sauce can be hot or cold. If serving with a cold sauce, make sure ravioli is thoroughly chilled and tossed gently in regular intervals. If served with a hot sauce, the ravioli should NOT be given the olive oil treatment, as the stickyness of the pasta will let the sauce stick to the ravioli better. Under NO (and I mean NO) circumstances should the ravioli be boiled in the sauce, as it destroys the texture of the pasta, and can over-expose the filling to heat, which can cause the ravioli to break apart. Thus if the pasta is added to the sauce, it should go off of the stove, and into the oven, at a low baking temperature.
Sample hot sauce:
Process to desired thickness, six roma tomatoes, ‚¼ red onion, two sticks of celery heart, zest of half a lemon, salt and pepper, one cup of mushroom broth fresh basil, oregano, and stew until darkish red at med heat, careful to not allow burning edges occur. Lower heat, and stir in 3 tsp maza flour to thicken (adjust accordingly) accordingly. Mix one shot of vodka with 1 teaspoon of mildish hot sauce, and 1 tsp lemon juice. Stir into sauce, and let sit on low heat for five minutes. Remove from heat.
Sample cool sauce:
Mix in plastic bottle, 1 part fresh basil, 1 parts raspberry vinegrette, 2 part Italian dressing, two tsp balsamic vinegar. Shake vigorously to achive emulsification (or blend). Plate ravioli over mache, arugula, romaine or other greens (blend is the key!) add red onion, mushrooms (add a scoop of lump crab meat and small boiled Yukon gold potatoes for a more filling dish.)