Anyone else tired of me travelling? Well I certainly am. It's becoming my entire life. I'm literally sitting on my couch right now wrapped in a blanket I stole from my most recent flight and coughing like some idiot who forgot to take Airborn before travelling. I've been in Asia for more than 10 weeks in the past 4 months, and I must say I am exhausted from the endless jetlag. Sure, I've gained an intimate understanding of Taiwanese culture, learned quite a bit of Mandarin, had the fortune to see Hong Kong first hand and not just within the frames of Pacific Rim, got to see a real lion dance in China that was performed by children whose families had been training in the art of lion dance for generations... but have I been able to pursue my true passions at all? I haven't been able to cook in more than a month! Hopefully I won't be surprise-shipped abroad over the next few days and I'll manage to have some culinary successes this weekend that I can share with you, but for now, here is the recipe I promised you on my instagram more than a month ago >__<!
Alright so this is just one of those dishes that will make your mouth scream with memories of some forgotten past on a cypress-lined hillside in northern Italy, the soft scents of lemon and olive trees mingling in the breeze winding its way through a nearby herb garden. It has all of those classic Italian flavors - zesty lemon mixed with fatty sausage, crispy sage perfuming a splash of white wine, bites of spice to brighten the earthy potatoes, leafy greens adding a slightly sour note to the otherwise savory profile. Oh, and of course, so much Parmesan.
Butter Count: 1 Tbsp
INGREDIENTS:
1 package store-bought gnocchi
1 Tbsp butter
2 sweet Italian sausages
8 sage leaves
Juice from 1 lemon
1/4 cup white wine
1 bunch escarole
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1-2 (depending on taste) red jalapenos, thinly sliced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Cook the gnocchi according to the package instructions in heavily salted boiling water, with a splash of olive oil added to it.
2. Melt the butter in a skillet over high heat. Remove the sausage meat from the casings and add it to the butter. Stirring frequently, cook until the sausage meet is broken up and browned on all sides. Transfer the sausage to a paper towel with a slotted spoon, leaving the leftover fat in the pan.
3. Lower the heat slightly and place the sage leaves in the rendered fat from the sausage. If there is not enough fat remaining, add a small amount of olive oil, just to coat the bottom of the pan. Fry the sage leaves until fragrant and crispy. Transfer the sage to a paper towel with a slotted spoon.
4. Raise the heat back to high. Add the lemon juice and white wine to sage oil. bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Allow to reduce by half, then add the escarole and garlic and cover the pan. Cook about 1 minute, then remove the cover and stir until the escarole is wilted.
5. Pour the pan contents into a pot with the cooked gnocchi Toss well. Add the sausage and toss again.
6. Transfer to plates, then top evenly with the red jalapeno slices and the grated Parmesan. Sprinkle with additional lemon juice if desired.