The Magical Poached Egg

What is it about poached eggs? Is it the slightly translucent egg white revealing the yellow of the warmed yolk underneath? Is it the moment when you slide your utensil into the yolk and watch it run over your food like a golden river? Whatever it is that makes the poached egg so magical I'm not sure I care... all I know is that whenever I am served a dish, or make a dish with one of those beauties nestled on top I am instantly excited.

Therefore it should come as no surprise that last month when I went to spend a weekend with my mom in NY and we ate at a restaurant called Fig and Olive, and I saw a cheese and gnocchi dish with a poached egg on top, there was no question what I was going to order. I think the exact wording went something like, "Goat cheese gnocchi with blue cheese and fontina. Topped with a poached egg." YUM.

When it came to the table it was a little piece of cheese heaven topped with a poached egg. My only complaint was the the blue cheese really drowned out most of the other flavors and left the dish looking a little greasy. I decided this was something I was going to have to remake for my family, with a few tweaks.

The changes I made were fairly simple. Instead of a goat cheese gnocchi I decided to make a ricotta and herb gnocchi. I adapted a recipe for the gnocchi from theKithchen's Easy Ricotta Gnocchi. At the last minute I decided to throw a little lemon zest into the gnocchi to brighten things up a bit. Also, instead of using blue cheese and fontina, I opted to go with goat cheese and fontina. I do love goat cheese and I wanted it in there somewhere.

Gnocchi was made in the afternoon and stashed in the refrigerator until dinner...

Obligatory, "Hey look, I really did make the gnocchi" shot.

After a quick dip in some boiling water the gnocchi was drained and tossed with the cheeses. Then while it was baking away in the oven to melt the cheese, the eggs were gently poached. The whole meal took about a 1/2 hour to make since the gnocchi had been made earlier in the day.

My husband came home after a loooong day of meetings. He was not in the best of moods. I was glad I had this meal to serve him. Plus I had managed to pull together a strawberry rhubarb pie that afternoon *pats self on back*, so I had a hunch I could pull him out of his foul mood a bit. I sat the family down to eat and then took my bowl of gnocchi out to photograph before I sat down to eat with them. I was only outside for about 5 minutes and when I came back in my husband had gone back for seconds and the kiddos were giving me thumbs up in-between mouthfuls of gnocchi muffling "mmm's". So if you're wondering if the meal was good I'd have to say it probably got a passing grade in my neck of the woods.

Printable version

Baked Ricotta, Herb Gnocchi & Cheese with a Poached Egg

(Serves four)

Ingredients (Gnocchi recipe adapted from theKitchen's Easy Ricotta Gnocchi):

• One 16 ounce container of whole milk ricotta
• 5 large eggs
• 1/2 cup of finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon of finely minced fresh thyme
• Zest from 1/2 a lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 3/4 to 1 cup of flour
• 1 cup of fontina cheese; shredded
• 2-3 ounces of goat cheese; crumbled

Directions:

1. To make the gnocchi:  Set a strainer lined with three coffee filters or paper towels over a bowl. Add the ricotta and let the cheese drain for about an hour. (This can be done several days in advance.)
2. In a large bowl, mix the strained ricotta, 1 egg, cheese, fresh thyme, lemon zest, salt, and 3/4 cup of the flour until all ingredients are incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
3. Check the dough by rolling a bit in your hand. It should be a bit tacky. If it clings to your fingers like bubble gum, incorporate more flour one tablespoon at a time until you reach a tacky, workable consistency. Refrigerate for another 15 minutes.
4. Before shaping, put a large pot of water on the stove to bring to a boil, and pre-heat the oven to 375°F. Sprinkle a baking sheet with flour and set it close to your work space. (Remember, you can also make the gnocchi ahead of time and stash it in your refrigerator. You could also make it in advance and freeze the gnocchi in a single layer on a baking sheet, then once frozen transfer the gnocchi to a storage bag, and store it in your freezer until ready to make the meal.)
5. Sprinkle your hands and work surface with a little flour. Break off a tennis-ball sized piece of the dough and roll it into a thick log about 3/4-inch thick.
6. Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut the log into 3/4" pieces. You can leave them as little 'pillows' or shape them into the traditional grooved gnocchi by rolling them off the back of a fork with your thumb.
7. Transfer this batch to the baking sheet and toss with flour to prevent sticking. Repeat rolling process with the remaining dough.
8. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the water and half of the gnocchi. Gently stir the gnocchi to make sure they don't stick. Once they bob to the surface, let them cook an additional 2 minutes. Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon and transfer to a colander set over a bowl to finish draining.
9. Repeat with second batch of gnocchi.
10. Once the gnocchi has drained place it in a greased 8x8 inch baking pan and toss with the fontina and goat cheese. Bake at 375°F for 10-15 minutes until the cheeses have melted and started to brown a bit on the top. 
11. While the gnocchi is baking bring a wide saucepan with a few inches of water and a tablespoon or two (aka a "glug") of white vinegar to a bare simmer. Crack an egg into a bowl and very gently slip it into the water. Repeat with the 3 remaining eggs. Make sure to space them well inside the pan. After a minute you can use a spoon to gently swirl the water which will draw the whites closer around the yolks. After 3-4 minutes when the whites no longer look runny use a slotted spoon and gently remove each egg and place it on top of a paper towel lined plate to remove any excess moisture.
12. When the gnocchi is done baking remove it from the oven, top with the poached eggs, sprinkle the eggs with a touch of salt and a few grinds of pepper, and serve.