Faux Ko: Asian Gnocchi with Lobster
We channeled David Chang’s East-meets-West sensibilities (not so much channeled as asked ourselves, “it’s gnocchi, how badly can we *&%*&^ up?). Our skills took back seat to the flavorful ingredients and resulted in a dish we think is not only edible, but amazing.
Asia is the new Italy when it comes to pasta, or at least that’s our new mantra. For a recent Faux Ko night, we took gnocchi and gave it some Tokyo-Thai flair a la David Chang. Think of them like dumplings and it’s not such a WTF – in fact, this marriage of East-meets-West is so deliciously seamless (if not obvious) that it may make a permanent stop on your tapas menu. True, Chang seems to like his seafood bathed in pork-ness, but we decided to save the pig on this round. If you’re desperate, garnish with some lardons (read: Baco Bits) and call it a night.
Serve with lime and clarified butter to bring out the flavors of the gnocchi and lobster.
Asian Gnocchi with Lobster
Lobster
- 2 to 3 lobster tails
- 8 to 10 kaffir lime leaves
- Steam lobsters with kaffir lime leaves (approximately 12 to 15 minutes)
- Remove from shell and set aside.
Sauce
- Vegetable oil
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 5 kaffir lime leaves
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup sake or white wine
- 1/2 cup mirin (can sub in extra sake if you can’t find mirin)
- 3 tablespoons each cilantro, mint and Thai basil leaves, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon sansho pepper
- 2 ounces lime juice
- Zest of 1 lime
- Scallions and toasted coconut to garnish.
- Saute garlic, shallots and ginger in vegetable oil.
- Add kaffir lime leaves, vinegar, mirin and sake. Reduce.
- Add herbs, lime and zest. Cook 8 to 10 minutes.
- Strain and set aside.
Gnocchi
- 1 package fresh gnocchi or this hand-made 15-minute version
- 8 ounces enoki mushrooms
- Cook gnocchi per directions.
- Saute mushrooms in vegetable oil.
- Add gnocchi and sear both sides.
Assemble and Serve:
- Add sauce and lobster to the gnocchi and mushrooms.
- Garnish with scallions and toasted coconut.
- Serve in a partially steamed bok choy leaf.
We thought Nicky at Delicious Days was full of %$#%^$#. She's not. Her 15-minute gnocchis will give you the freedom to set fire to your pasta maker.
Steam tails for better texture than boiling. Tails should be stiff, not flexible, when done.
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