I am back on a seamless ravioli (otherwise known as gnudi) kick. I want to form a visible skin on the surface of each dumpling, encasing the filling in a seamless exterior layer of dough. In order to facilitate the skin formation we first roll our filling in flour and then bury the dumplings in it. We refrigerate the buried filling overnight and then unearth them. Then we dip them in water and roll them again in the flour and bury them for another night to develop a slightly thicker skin.
This week we started working on a polenta version. We scooped cooled cheddar polenta and then rolled it and buried it in all purpose flour. The following day I casually unearthed the dumplings, dipped them in water, and repeated the process for a second day in the flour. After the second night in the refrigerator I uncovered the seamless ravioli and dusted them off. They cooked up nicely. The secondary dip created a full ravioli-like skin around the polenta. But when we bit into some of them we discovered a hard, chalky layer of un-hydrated flour in some of the skins. This was caused by my less than meticulous attention to detail during the dipping and re-rolling process. If I pay more attention to the details of the process I will be able to eliminate the flaw and create the perfectly encased polenta ravioli I was looking for.
Years Past
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
