LCBO Food & Drink Spring 2017

springing for pasta from page 62

3 Meanwhile, separate the white bulbs from the ramps and thinly slice; set greens aside. 4 Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; fry sliced ramp bulbs for 1 minute. Pour in wine and reserved dashi; bring to a boil and reduce by half, about 5 minutes. Add clams, increase heat to high, cover and cook until clams have opened, 3 to 5 minutes, depending on size; discard any unopened clams. Remove clams to a bowl with a slotted spoon or tongs; loosely cover to keep warm. 5 Cook pasta in boiling water-dashi mixture until al dente, about 1 minute short of time specified on package; drain and add to skil- let along with reserved ramp greens. Return skillet to high heat, add butter, and toss pasta in sauce until thickened and well coated; about 1 minute. Stir in clams, divide between 4 bowls and serve with shichimi togarashi or chili flakes to sprinkle overtop. Serves 4

2 tbsp (30 mL) plus ½ cup (125 mL, or 1 stick) salted butter ¼ cup (60 mL) freshly grated horseradish Good-quality aged balsamic vinegar to garnish 1 Wash the fiddleheads in several changes of cool water to remove the papery scales. Trim stems and boil in plenty of salted water for 6 minutes until tender-crisp. Meanwhile pre- pare an ice bath; using a slotted spoon, trans- fer cooked fiddleheads to ice bath. Drain and set aside. 2 Cook potatoes in boiling water until ten- der, about 45 minutes. Drain and let stand for 10 minutes, peel and pass through a food mill or ricer directly onto counter; cool to room temperature. Sprinkle with buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, 2 tsp (10 mL) salt and ¼ tsp (1 mL) finely ground black pepper. Lightly toss, make a well in the centre and add egg; bring potato mixture towards centre and knead 2 or 3 times to bring together. 3 Working with roughly one-third of the dough at a time, roll out, lightly flouring dough to prevent sticking if necessary, into a long rope about ½ inch (1 cm) in diameter. Cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) lengths. If desired, roll individual gnocco against a fork using your index finger to create a divot on the underside of each, otherwise move directly to a floured baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough to make about 8-dozen gnocchi (gnoc- chi may be made ahead and frozen until ready to use). 4 Put a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. 5 Meanwhile, cut largest morels in half; melt 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once foaming, add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. 6 Melt remaining ½ cup (125 mL) butter in pan and cook, swirling pan from time to time, until foaming has subsided, milk solids have browned and butter smells nutty, about 4 min- utes. Stir in horseradish, reserved fiddleheads and morels. Remove from heat and keep warm while preparing gnocchi. 7 Cook gnocchi in boiling water for about 1½ to 2 minutes or until all are floating and swelled. Drain well and carefully add to skil- let; return pan to medium heat and gently stir to coat all in brown butter. Divide between 6 warm bowls and top each with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar to taste. Serves 6

SMOKY RAMP & CLAM SPAGHETTI

This fresh take on an Italian classic makes use of dashi , a simple Japanese stock you’ve prob- ably already tried in miso soup. You’ll need to visit an Asian grocer for the kombu (a dried seaweed) and the bonito flakes (a species of tuna that’s smoked, dried and shaved), but the stock itself, which can be prepared a couple of days in advance, is very easy to make. Shi- chimi togarashi , a delectable table seasoning containing chilies and dried orange peel, hails from Japan too and is worth picking up along the way. 4 cups (1 L) water 1 piece kombu, 1 oz (30 g) about 4 x 8 inches (10 x 20 cm) 2 oz (60 g) bonito flakes, about 5 cups (1.25 L) Salt 18 ramps, cleaned and trimmed ½ cup (125 mL) olive oil ½ cup (125 mL) dry white wine 3 lbs (1.5 kg) littleneck or other small clams, scrubbed 1 lb (500 g) spaghetti 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter Shichimi togarashi or chili flakes to serve 1 Bring water to a boil in a medium pot; re- move from heat. Immerse kombu in water and let stand for 5 minutes; remove seaweed with a slotted spoon and discard. Return pot to heat, sprinkle bonito over (do not stir), and once again bring to a boil; remove from heat and steep for 10 minutes. Strain dashi through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl, pressing on bonito with a spatula to extract as much water as possible; discard solids. 2 Half-fill a large pot with water; measure out 1 cup (250 mL) of the dashi and set aside. Add remaining dashi to water in pot. Season with salt and bring to a boil.

BUCKWHEAT GNOCCHI WITH HORSERADI SH, FIDDLEHEADS & MORELS Once you’ve made homemade gnocchi, it’s im- possible to go back to the heavy, shelf-stable sort available on grocers’ shelves. This spring- time version tricks out the little dumplings with buckwheat flour and pairs them with sea- sonal produce. If you’d prefer to make them ahead of time, freeze in a single layer on bak- ing sheets and, once solid, transfer to a large resealable bag and return to the freezer. They’ll keep for a couple of months and are a welcome shortcut when you’re pressed for time. 2 cups (500 mL) fiddleheads 2 large unpeeled russet potatoes, about 1½ lbs (750 g) 2/3 cup (160 mL) buckwheat flour 1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 egg, lightly beaten 6 oz (175 g) small- to medium-size fresh morels, cleaned

110  FOOD & DRI NK SPRING 2017