HotmailPan-roasted gnocchi with a continental flair
TODAY Food editor ‘steals’ a delicately nuanced, modern American dish
 | Chef Scott Ekstrom draws on European influences to create a modern American dish. |
Todd Ynocencio |
Recipes from TODAY |
 |
Follow us! |
 twitter.com |
 | Slideshow |
 | Appetite for perfection From Rachael Ray to Rocco DiSpirito, these celebrity chefs know how to turn up the heat in the kitchen. more photos |
 |
 TODAY Chimp attack victim breaks her silence Nov. 12: Charla Nash, the woman who was brutally mauled by her friend’s pet chimpanzee, speaks out for the first time and bravely shows the extent of her injuries. NBC’s Jeff Rossen reports. |
In this special weekly feature, TODAY Food Editor Phil Lempert brings you recipes “stolen” (with permission) from notable restaurants across America. See how much fun you can have (and money you can save) by cooking these dishes at home.
THIS WEEK: Pan-roasted gnocchi with caramelized white asparagus, oyster mushrooms and brown butter vinaigrette from Scott Ekstrom, executive chef of Brasserie 44 in New York City.
This week we’ve stolen a recipe from Scott Ekstrom, executive chef of Brasserie 44, which recently opened at the Royalton Hotel in midtown Manhattan. Along with restaurateur John McDonald, Ekstrom has created a modern American menu for the restaurant. He has also prepared a prix fixe theatre menu for Bar 44, the hotel’s chic lobby lounge, as well as a room service menu for hotel guests.
This recipe calls for a Banyuls vinegar, a vinegar made from a fortified wine from a region in the south of France that borders Spain. It is a gastronomic treat, having been aged in barrels for five years and has a mellow flavor, but if you can’t find it, you can use red wine vinegar instead.
About the chef: Working in kitchens since age 14, Ekstrom, who grew up in the seaside town of Lavallette, N.J., found his first real taste for fine dining and food when he entered The Restaurant School of Philadelphia. While there, he worked under the tutelage of Chef Jean-Marie Lacroix in The Fountain Restaurant at The Four Seasons, his first introduction to classical French cuisine. In 1997, Ekstrom went to work for Georges Perrier of Le Bec Fin and at Brasserie Perrier, where he learned technical French cooking and the art of simplicity.
Looking to broaden his horizons, in 1999, Ekstrom went to work at New York City restaurant Daniel, under world-renowned chef Daniel Boulud. During his four-year tenure there, the restaurant received four stars. It is here that he learned how to make beautiful flavor combinations.
Ekstrom joined Oceana as sous chef in the spring of 2003 and was later promoted to chef de cuisine. Under the guidance of chef-phenom Cornelius Gallagher, the restaurant received three stars from The New York Times and four stars from the New York Post. Beauty, artistic expression and excellence were the driving forces of this exceptional culinary experience. 
Ekstrom’s personal philosophy, to bring “a respect for tradition and quality to the kitchen with an unwavering commitment to please” can be seen throughout his creations at Brasserie 44.
In his spare time, he enjoys exploring the culinary traditions of Europe, especially southwest France, as well as bringing a balance of artistry to his life through sculpture and painting.
Pan-roasted gnocchi with caramelized white asparagus, oyster mushrooms and brown butter vinaigrette is served at Brasserie 44 for $20. This recipe makes six to eight restaurant servings.
Brasserie 44
At The Royalton
44 W. 44th St.
New York, NY 10036
(212) 869-4400
www.brasseriefortyfour.com
six to eight restaurant servings
INGREDIENTS
Steal This Recipe® Step by Step Instructions For the Gnocchi:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Salt the bottom of a sheet pan, and roast potatoes for about 1 hr or until soft.
- Using a rice mill, rice potatoes into a large pot.
- When finished, add to a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and let cool.
- Add a handful of the flour on the table and place the potatoes on top of the flour with a hole in the middle, then add the egg yolks in the middle.
- Add the rest of the flour, mace, and salt and fold together until dough feels silky.
- Keeping your work surface and the dough lightly floured, flatten dough slightly and cut into long strips .
- Roll each piece into a rope about 1/2-inch in diameter. Cut into 1/2-inch-long pieces.
Steal This Recipe® Step by Step Instructions For the Garnish:
- In a hot sauté pan, add a little oil and cook the asparagus.
- When the asparagus begins to brown, turn the heat to medium and add a knob of butter to gently pan roast.
- Add mushrooms and when they begin to start browning, add the butter, then the shallots and thyme.
Steal This Recipe® Step by Step Instructions For the Sauce:
- Add butter to saucepan and place over medium-low heat.
- When butter has melted, slowly whisk repeatedly for up to 10 minutes. This will ensure the milk solids do not scorch the bottom of pan and brown evenly, giving you Beurre Noisette, which is the base for the vinaigrette.
- Add the Banyuls vinegar.
- Re-hydrate the currants by adding them to the cranberry juice, and puree making a coulis. (Note: This can be done ahead of time and can be kept refrigerated until ready to use.)
- Add the currant coulis to the vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper.
- Steal This Recipe® Step by Step Instructions For Assembly:
- In boiling water, blanch the gnocchi until cooked (about 1½ minutes)
- Dry off gnocchi and place into a preheated pan with a touch of oil (a nonstick sauté pan works best).
- In a separate pan, heat the asparagus and the mushrooms and add sage.
- Warm the vinaigrette and set aside.
Place the gnocchi in large warm bowl, garnish with the asparagus and mushrooms and spoon with warm vinaigrette.
Garnish with shaved Parmesan.
MANAGE YOUR RECIPES
Want to nominate your favorite restaurant dish for a “Steal This Recipe” feature? Just e-mail Phil at with the name of the restaurant, city and state, and the dish you would like to have re-created. Want to know more about Phil and food? Visit his Web site at www.supermarketguru.com.
- Discuss Story On Newsvine
-
Rate Story:
View popularLowHigh - Instant Message
MORE FROM STEAL THIS RECIPE |
 Soul food: Creamy baked mac ’n’ cheese |
| Add Steal this Recipe headlines to your news reader: |
Sponsored links
Resource guide