This Little Pig had a bountiful amount of spinach left over from deliveries on Saturday and thus decided to whip up some spinach and ricotta dumplings (as you do). These plump beauties were soft, fragrant and delightfully moist. Combined with the tart deconstructed Salsa Verde and salty lashings of Parmesan, there was really nothing to stop this fine swine snuffling the whole plate in one go. Great for a dinner party as a tapas style nibble or even the main event. Everything can be prepared before hand and then just gently warm the dumplings as you brown them in butter when the guests arrive.
Also piglets, as a side note, don’t baulk like a startled swine when you read the word white anchovies. They are much gentler and much less fishy than their brother, the standard anchovy. Pickled in vinegar and oil they come out tasting so delicious and have a creamy texture and really add an amazing amount of depth to this recipe, so buckle in and give it a whirl you brave piglet!
Feeds: 2-3 Hungry piglets as a main.
Prep Time: 20 Mins. Cooking Time: 15 Mins.
Ingredients For Darling Dumplings:
200g x Baby Spinach
200g x Ricotta
50g x Grated Parmesan
50g x Plain Flour
2 x Free Range Eggs
1 x Chive Bunch
2 x Garlic Cloves
40g x Butter
Ingredients For Sensational Salsa:
300g x Cherry Tomatoes
12 x White Anchovy Fillets
½ x Mint Bunch
½ x Flat Leaf Parsley Bunch
1 x Garlic Clove
2 x Tbs Olive Oil
1 x Tbs White Wine Vinegar
Lashings of salt and pepper for all!
Method of Sensational Salsa:
- Halve your cherry tomatoes (300g).
- Pull the leaves off the stem and roughly chop your mint and parsley leaves.
- Skin and very finely dice or crush your garlic clove (1).
- Finely dice your anchovy fillets (12).
- In a bowl combine your cherry tomatoes, mint, parsley, garlic, anchovy, olive oil (2 Tbs), white wine vinegar (1 Tbs) and a good scrunch of salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Set the bowl aside, ready to be a delightful dinner guest at the table.
Method of Delightful Dumplings:
- Spritz your spinach and then drop into a fry pan on a high heat and gently stir until the spinach wilts.
- Using tongs, squeeeeeeze the water out of your spinach and then pop it on a paper towel or two and dry the spinach by patting it all over. You want it nice and dry but don’t get out the hair drier or anything piglet, just do your best with a paper towel or two.
- Drop the spinach onto a breadboard and finely dice.
- Fill a large pot with water and pop on high to bring to the boil.
- Skin and finely dice your garlic cloves (2) and finely dice your chives.
- In a large bowl combine your spinach, ricotta (50g), parmesan (50g), flour (50g), eggs (2), chives and garlic and a good scrunch of salt and pepper. Mix together well to form a sticky dough. If it is reallllllyyyy sticky, you can add a little extra flour. Not too much that it won't stick to itself though piglet.
- Dust your board with a good lashing of flour and then using a teaspoon, dollop out teaspoons of the dough onto your board.
- Cover the dumplings with a good coating of flour and roll them with your hands, once they have been dusted with flour, into nice little balls of deliciousness.
- Once your pot of water is boiling, gently drop in your dumplings – you may need to do this in two batches, depending on the size of your pot. You want them have their own personal space and not get too cozy with their neighbours tsk tsk tsk.
- Allow them to boil away and when the dumpling rises (around 3-5 mins) to the surface (listen for the scream “I’m readdyyyyyyy” emit from its tiny doughy mouth) use a slotted spoon to rescue him and pop on a plate. Follow suit until all dumplings are rescued from the boiling water A.K.A raised to the surface and removed with your slotted spoon.
- Now heat your fry pan with your butter (40g) until melted and bubbling.
- Gently place your dumplings into the bubbling butter – handy hint: place in a clock-wise direction starting at 12, so you always know which one to turn first (“gosh so clever piglet,” I hear you mutter and we agree with you).
- Once dumplings are golden brown on both sides. Gently take out and arrange on a stunning platter of choice.
- Scatter over your deconstructed salsa verde, juice and all, top with finely grated Parmesan and a good scrunch of salt and pepper. Serve hot to the table amidst squeals of delight. Oink!
