Tips On The Kitchen: Ricotta Dumplings with Best Ever Mushroom Sauce

My special friend Fenris was hankering for dumplings as they reminded him of his childhood, so I invited him over for an afternoon of cooking. Though my dumplings were not as traditional as the ones his mom used to make, these are very filling and just plain comfort food. I served them up with my best ever mushroom sauce, which is always better than I remember. Seriously, I could just eat this sauce all on its own. Mushroom fiends like myself must try this. Easy, and oh so tempting. I have served this sauce with plenty of foods, including Scalloped Potatoes, Black-Eyed Pea and Quinoa Croquettes and fresh pasta. It is one of my favorite staple sauces and a big hit with everyone who has tried it.

Ricotta Dumplings with Best Ever Mushroom Sauce

To make Best-Ever Mushroom Sauce:

4 tablespoons butter
2 medium onions, chopped
1 1b. white mushrooms,
a cup or so of creminis, sliced
1 cup yogurt
juice of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
a dash of paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour (optional)
fresh ground black pepper
a few teaspoons of fresh chives, or a tablespoon of dried chives
a few more tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan for garnish

For the dumplings:

1 cup of ricotta cheese
2 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
1/3 cup of unbleached white flour
2/3 cup of bread crumbs
1/3 + 2 tablespoons of cornmeal

Begin by making the sauce.

Melt butter in a large saucepan or wok over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 8 minutes or until they are soft and translucent. Stir in the mushrooms, cover with a tight fitting lid, and cook for 10 minutes or until the mushrooms are reduced but still slightly plump.

Remove the lid and stir in the yogurt, lemon juice, parsley, mustard, paprika and salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the sauce without boiling, stirring occasionally, for at least 30 minutes — or longer if you want a thicker sauce. If you want to speed up the process, stir in a tablespoon of unbleached all-purpose flour a few minutes after adding the yogurt and other ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

To make the dumplings, beat together the ricotta, egg yolks and Parmesan in a medium-large bowl. Add the flour and beat until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold the egg whites into the ricotta mixture in two additions. Next fold in the breadcrumbs and cornmeal.

Fill a heavy skillet or large wok with enough water to reach a depth of two inches. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Drop the shaped batter by rounded tablespoons into the water. Cover and cook for 4 minutes. Turn the dumplings, cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

To complete the dish, place the dumplings on a platter or in a large serving bowl, and spoon the mushroom sauce over the dumplings. Sprinkle with freshly cracked black pepper, more freshly grated Parmesan and chives.

Serves 4 - 6.