Merlin Labron-Johnson's brilliantly original and effortlessly cool restaurant Osip took home the top prize of Restaurant of the Year at this year's Good Food Guide Awards. Here, the chef shares his easy dumpling recipe based on the Italian malfatti which makes use of a plentiful – but underrated – crop of chard.
This is based on an Italian recipe called malfatti which typically uses spinach but our version uses chard, as this is something that we grow in large quantities almost all year round. It is a resilient,versatile crop that can be harvested over a long season. This is a fresh and delicate dish which also manages to be warm and comforting, making it suitable for a fine lunch both in summer and in winter!
INGREDIENTS
- 4500g chard leaves, tough stem removed, washed and dried
- 250g ricotta
- 1 egg
- 150g parmesan, finely grated
- Salt, pepper and nutmeg
- 3tbsp plain flour
- 250g semolina (preferably not too fine)
- 150g butter
METHOD
Boil the chard in salted water for 4 minutes then drain and leave to cool. Squeeze out all the water and chop finely. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, parmesan, and chard. Using a wooden spoon, beat
in the egg and plain flour. Season with salt and pepper.
Find a large tray and sprinkle half the semolina flour on the bottom. Put a little flour on your hands and roll the ricotta mixture into balls roughly the size of a ping pong ball. Place them on the tray which you have lined with semolina so that they are sitting happily side by side but not touching each other. Cover with the remainder of the semolina flour.
Leave in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours or ideally overnight.
Bring a pan of water to a boil that is large enough to accommodate all the dumplings. Place the dumplings in the water and cook until they start to rise to the surface (about 3-4 minutes) Whilst the dumplings are cooking, heat the butter in another large pan. Once it is foaming, add a few spoonfuls of the cooking water and grate in some fresh nutmeg. Turn off the heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the dumplings directly from the boiling water into the butter and toss well. Serve immediately.
Continuing with our next Kitchen Supper Series in partnership with the legendary Claridge’s hotel in London's Mayfair, we’re excited to welcome Merlin Labron-Johnson, chef patron of Osip in Somerset to Claridge's kitchen for one night only on Monday 29th September. Book now.
