If you’re looking for a change to traditional Christmas dishes, Teemu Laurell’s recipe is just for you.
If ham and boxes are not your thing, but you want something more modern, a top chef and restaurateur knows Teemu Laurell tismodelle, what should be prepared for Christmas. Fresh and crispy lemon-potato gnocchi are the perfect option for the Christmas table.
Gnocchi are dumplings made from potatoes that come from Italian cuisine. Laurell’s lemon-potato gnocchi recipe has been on the chef’s journey for years.
The recipe dates back to the time when a young chef who graduated from Restaurant School Perho got a job at the prestigious Fishmarket restaurant in Helsinki. At that time, the chef of the year, now deceased, led the Fishmarket’s kitchen Matti Jämsén.
Laurell says that she still remembers the exact dish that the gnocchi was served as part of at the famous seafood restaurant.
– The dish contained oil made from dried olives, which was brushed over the sea urchin before vacuum cooking. When cut open, the seal was black on the outside and white on the inside when ripe. There were gnocchi and cauliflower puree with the monkfish, Laurell recalls.
The recipe has been preserved by Laurell, and its flavor world will fit into 2023 just as well as it did in the middle of the 21st century.
– Gnocchi fried in butter have a wonderful taste that goes well with roe. The recipe is also easy.
Mätmousse is also great on bread. Jenni Gästgivar
Siianmäti takes the win
At the Christmas table, gnocchi are served with roe dip, which brings festiveness and wonderful Christmas flavors to the table in a modern way.
Among roe, Laurell prefers her own roe, but according to the top chef, any roe that is available can be used for roe dip.
– Whitefish roe is number one for me, because I really like whitefish as a fish anyway.
According to Laurell, the secret of mätidipi is its simplicity and good combination of flavors.
– Mätidip has all the elements you could want: onion, dill, chives and sour cream. The dip goes well with gnocchi and on bread.
Gnocchi have recently gained popularity. Jenni Gästgivar
Lemon-potato gnocchi & roe mousse
(for four people, gluten-free, preparation time 60 min)
600 g of potato
3 egg yolks
50 g room temperature butter
1 dl potato flour
Zest of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon of salt
butter for frying
Mousse:
2 dl sour cream
0.25 lemon juice and 0.25 grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
half a red onion, chopped
a pinch of salt
ground black pepper
1 dl whitefish roe
For finishing:
rainbow trout roe
1. Cut the potatoes into small pieces. Cook the potatoes by steaming, so that the potato remains floury. With boiled potatoes, the gnocchi mass tends to be too watery. You can also roast a whole potato in the oven at 180 degrees for about 45-60 minutes. If you roast the potatoes in the oven, cook the potatoes with the skin on. Peel the potatoes after roasting and then use a potato masher.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the mashed potatoes. Mix the sour cream, lemon juice, grated lemon peel, dill, chives and finely chopped onion in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Finally, gently stir in the roe while lifting. Check the taste.
3. Grind the ripe potatoes into a fine, floury mass with a potato masher or masher. Add yolks, butter, potato flour, lemon peel and salt to the potatoes. Mix the mass carefully, do not knead.
4. Shape the mass into thin, long sticks by hand or with a piping bag. Cut the mass with a knife into small (about 2 cm) pieces. If you wish, you can make decorative stripes on the pieces with a gnocchi spatula or a fork.
5. Cook the gnocchi in a few batches in boiling water. The gnocchi are ready when they rise to the surface. Put the cooked gnocchi on a baking sheet that has been sprinkled with a little oil. The oil prevents the gnocchi from sticking to each other.
6. Heat the butter in a frying pan and fry the cooked gnocchi to a beautiful golden brown. Serve immediately. Finish the servings with roe mousse, roe and chives.
Wine recommendation
Waka Sauvignon Blanc 2021 is dry, tart, lime, with light passion fruit, green apple, currant leaves and light nettle. New Zealand, €13.49.