Ricotta Dumplings with Spring Stock and Seasonal Vegetables
This is a recipe in three parts, but it is not complicated, and not only are some parts optional, but they can be made well ahead of time. Further, the recipe can be tweaked based on what you have in your kitchen, your available time, and your mood.
The Quick Spring Stock is not optional, however, and is quick and inexpensive. Plus, it is unique and great to have in your back pocket (and freezer). It is perfect for this time of year, when most vegetables are sweet and green, and takes about 15 minutes to make from start to finish.
For the chopped vegetables that go in the soup itself, use whatever you have–Japanese turnips, garlic scapes, asparagus, English peas, fava beans, green beans–as long as they are at their peak.
If you don’t have the time or inclination to make Ricotta Custard for the bite-size soup dumplings, swirl a spoonful of fresh ricotta and a bit of good Parmesan into each bowl of hot broth, instead.
FOR THE CLASS, PLEASE PREPARE THE FOLLOWING AHEAD OF TIME:
* Ricotta custard (if making dumplings)
* Mixed spring vegetables for the soup
Ingredients
2 teaspoons Savory Ricotta Custard (see recipe, below) or fresh, excellent ricotta
2 square dumpling wrappers (if making the dumplings)
1 cup Quick Spring Stock (see recipe, below)
½ teaspoon or more grated fresh ginger
Coarse kosher salt
½ cup raw mixed spring vegetables, cut into ¼-inch pieces
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh herbs (such as dill, flat-leaf parsley, or chives)
Excellent olive oil
Freshly cracked black pepper
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Tightly wrap a 6-inch springform pan at least halfway up the sides with a double layer of foil (to prevent leaks) and lightly butter the inside, or lightly butter a 2-quart silicone mold.
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Taste for salt, if necessary adding a couple pinches more to sharpen the flavor without masking the ricotta’s fresh, milky taste. Transfer to the pan, smooth the top, and wipe the edges clean.
- Cover the top tightly with foil and place in a larger baking dish. Pour hot water into the baking dish to rise halfway up the pan, being careful not to let the water infiltrate the pan.
- Bake the custard until a thin knife inserted in the center pulls out looking “beady” or barely clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. The finished custard may jiggle lightly when tapped and should still look moist. You do not want it to darken or seize up.
- Remove from the water bath. Uncover, place on a rack, and cool to room temperature. Chill well before unmolding onto a plate.
Ricotta Custard
The best ricotta cheese is highly perishable, and it will smell and taste funkier with each passing day. The following recipe not only doubles the cheese’s shelf life, it makes it sturdy, which is especially welcome when you want to slice it for a sandwich, crumble it into pasta, serve it on a cheese plate, or use to fill dumplings.
Making the custard ahead of time means it will be chilled and set when you want to use it.
Ingredients
Butter, for the pan
28 ounces (about 3 cups) excellent ricotta
2 large eggs, beaten
½ cup finely grated pecorino cheese
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Scant ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Tightly wrap a 6-inch springform pan at least halfway up the sides with a double layer of foil (to prevent leaks) and lightly butter the inside, or lightly butter a 2-quart silicone mold.
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Taste for salt, if necessary adding a couple pinches more to sharpen the flavor without masking the ricotta’s fresh, milky taste. Transfer to the pan, smooth the top, and wipe the edges clean.
- Cover the top tightly with foil and place in a larger baking dish. Pour hot water into the baking dish to rise halfway up the pan, being careful not to let the water infiltrate the pan.
- Bake the custard until a thin knife inserted in the center pulls out looking “beady” or barely clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. The finished custard may jiggle lightly when tapped and should still look moist. You do not want it to darken or seize up.
- Remove from the water bath. Uncover, place on a rack, and cool to room temperature. Chill well before unmolding onto a plate.
- Store in refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 7 days.
Make the Dumplings
- Place 1 teaspoon of the ricotta custard in the center of each dumpling wrapper. One at a time, use your finger to wet the edges of the wrapper with water. Lift up each of a wrapper’s four corners so the edges cleanly align when they meet above the filling. Press the edges together, without trapping air bubbles, forming a neat purse. Set aside.
You can make the dumplings and freeze them, too. You can put them in the soup straight from the freezer; just give it a little more time to warm through in the broth.
Quick Spring Stock
This is a recipe for a five-minute stock made from the scraps of green and white vegetables. Alone, it is slightly acidic and tastes a little grassy, but elegant in soups with spring and summer produce. It exposes boxed vegetable stock for the food-coloring sham it is.
This is likely the only “stock” you can make in minutes. In fact, if you cook it much beyond the simmer, you risk dulling its bright flavors.
Be precise about preparing your ingredients. A little white pith from the lemon rind or a few extra dark green celery leaves can turn the stock too bitter.
Ingredients
1 cup roughly chopped fennel stalks and fronds
½ cup roughly chopped parsley stems
1 cup roughly chopped celery tops, ends, and leaves (not including any dark leaves)
Zest of 1 lemon, removed in strips with a vegetable peeler
1 small onion wedge, chopped
6 cups water
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled but roughly chopped
½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Directions
- Monitor the stock closely as it nears a simmer. As the water heats up, the herbs that touch the side of the pot will begin to dull in color. When this happens, remove the pot from the heat and immediately strain the stock. Add the garlic while the stock is still very hot. Let cool completely, then strain once more. Add the salt. Store in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Annnnnnd now, make the Soup
- Bring the stock just to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Add the ginger and enough salt to make the broth flavorful. Remove the stock from the heat and immediately add the vegetables. Cover and let sit for 30 seconds to 1 minute. The vegetables should remain fresh and crunchy and turn bright green, but you want them to lose their raw starchiness.
If you are using the dumplings, add them now, then cover the saucepan and leave to just cook through, about 30 seconds. If you cook more than one serving of soup at a time, keep the heat on very low to cook all the dumplings through.
Transfer to a bowl. Top with Parmesan or fresh ricotta (if you haven’t made the dumplings), the herbs, a swirl of oil, and pepper.