Make 8-10 servings

Basic Potato Gnocchi (procedure from Rouxbe Online Cooking School)

3.5 lbs potatoes (about 1.6kg)
2-3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Freshly grated nutmeg
Unrefined sea salt
Freshly ground white pepper

To start the gnocchi, preheat your oven to 400º degrees Fahrenheit. Place the potatoes onto a sheet of foil, add the salt and water, and wrap. Bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until cooked through.

Peel the potatoes while they are still hot. Cut and rice the potatoes, making sure they don’t pile up in one spot. Let the potatoes cool completely before proceeding.

To make the dough, sprinkle the potatoes with a good amount of flour. Aerate the potatoes with a bench scraper, and then add the salt, nutmeg and white pepper.

Break up the egg yolks and pour them over the potatoes. Cover the surface again with more flour. Continue to cut and gently lift the dough.

Test the dough by squeezing it gently in your hand. It shouldn’t stick. Add a bit more flour, if needed.

Once done, shape the dough into a rectangle and fold it a few times, using your fingertips to bring it together. Flatten the dough out until it is about the thickness of your finger. Sprinkle with flour and let rest about 5 to 10 minutes.

Cut strips of dough, about the width of your finger, and sprinkle with flour so they don’t stick to each other. Roll out each strip and cut the ropes into 3/4 - inch pieces. Separate them slightly, and flour them well, so they don’t stick together.

For a more rustic look, you can leave the gnocchi as is. Shaping the dough makes them look better, and also creates a little pocket to capture the sauce. This can be done with or without a gnocchi paddle.

Once done, sprinkle with flour and cover with a clean dry cloth. Fresh gnocchi can sit at room temperature for 4 to 5 hours before cooking.

You can even freeze gnocchi raw. Just place them onto a tray, making sure they aren’t touching each other. Once frozen, transfer to a plastic freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Cook the gnocchi from frozen and serve with your favorite sauce.

Braised Beef Short Ribs Adobo

1 head garlic
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup fresh, unsweetened coconut milk
½ cup cider, coconut or cane vinegar 
½ cup soy sauce (Filipino brand)
3 bay leaves
2 red bird's chilies (optional)

3 pounds beef short ribs (2½-inch piece, bone-in)
coarse unrefined sea salt

To prepare your mise en place, separate the garlic cloves and peel, and julienne the ginger. Measure the gather the peppercorns, chicken stock, coconut milk, vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaves and red chilies.

To prepare the beef, pat each piece with paper towels to remove the excess moisture. Heat large stewing pot with lid or a dutch oven to medium high heat. While the pan heats up, lay the beef and season with salt on all sides.

When the pan is properly heated, add the oil. Then sear or brown the beef on all sides. Once browned, add the garlic, peppercorns, chicken stock, coconut milk, coconut vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaf and the chilies.Bring to a gentle boil without stirring, then reduce the heat to simmer for about 1 -½ to 2 hours OR until the meat is very tender. You can also cook this at a 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) preheated oven for 2-3 hours or until the meat is very tender.

When the meat is already tender, remove from the heat. Since adobo is best served the next day, place the pot over an ice bath to cool quickly. Once cool, cover and transfer to the refrigerator overnight.

To reheat the dish the dish, remove first any hardened fat from the surface of the stew. Then, reheat the adobo in the oven at 350 F (175 C) until heated through or the sauce has been reduced. Season to to taste if necessary. 

Assembling the dish

To assemble the dish, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. While the water is boiling, remove the beef adobo from the oven. With slotted spoon, transfer the beef onto a plate. Then, strain the sauce through a strainer into another pan. Cut or break the beef into smaller pieces with a knife or a fork. Add to the sauce. Bring the beef mixture to a lower simmer.

When the water is already boiling, lower the heat slightly. Gently add the gnocchi into the water, stirring to prevent them from sticking. It is advisable to cook them by batch so they have enough room to cook. When the gnocchi floats to the top, gently lift them out with a slotted spoon, allowing the excess water to drain. Transfer the cooked gnocchi into warm individual bowls. Then spoon the beef adobo on top. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, if desired.

Serve immediately.