Kitchen Elves and Gnocchi Nisser Get to Work

When we were in Ry, Denmark over the holidays, I put my kids - the Kitchen Elves - to work with Rikke's kids and we had the 'Gnocchi Nisser'! They did a fantastic job and dinner was delicious.

Ingredients 

Braised Beef 

• 1 T  olive oil
• 2 to 2-1/2 pounds beef (I don't know what cut of beef it was since I don't read Danish, but I think it was just stew meat)
• 1 C onion, peeled and diced
• 6-8 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 C broth (I used beef broth)
• 2 C red wine
• 2 to 3 T tomato paste
• freshly ground salt, as needed
• freshly ground pepper, as needed
• grated parmesan for serving, optional

Gnocchi

• 2 C whole-milk ricotta
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1-1/4 C flour + more for rolling
• 1-1/2 C grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• freshly ground salt
• freshly ground pepper

Procedure 

Braised Beef 

Heat the oil in a large pan or pot. Stir in the garlic, then add the beef meat into the pot. Sear on each side for  3 to 5 minutes - until a nice brown begins to appear.

Add the onions and let them cook until the onion is translucent and beginning to caramelize.

Pour in the broth and red wine. Stir in the tomato paste. Bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Let the meat braise for 1 hour - longer is fine, too. Once the beef is tender. Use a fork to shred the meat slightly. Raise the heat to reduce the sauce to your desired thickness. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Gnocchi
Stir together ricotta, eggs, cheese, salt, and pepper. Add flour, stirring with a silicone spatula to form a soft, wet dough. Shape dough on a parchment-lined surface with lightly floured hands. Roll into 1" ropes and cut crosswise into 1" pieces with a lightly floured knife to form pillow dumplings.

To form the gnocchi, press a piece of dough onto the tines of a fork. Use your thumb to create a dimple in the top of the gnocchi.

Roll the dough down the tines to create gnocchi's signature indentations. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet or floured board.

To cook the gnocchi, bring water to a boil with splash of olive oil and 1 T salt. At a low boil, drop the gnocchi into the water and cook until they float, approximately 1 minute.

 Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the cooked gnocchi. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.

Divide the gnocchi onto individual serving plates. Spoon the braised meat over the top. Grate fresh nutmeg over the top, if desired. Serve hot.