I took my first stab at ravioli making this weekend. I thought I would give it an Asian twist, using edamame and watercress. It was later pointed out to me that Asian ravioli are probably just dumplings. Either way, they turned out well. About the only thing that did not come out to my liking was the thickness (a bit too thick) of the ravioli, which I was hand rolling. I’m going to get the pasta roller attachment for my Kitchenaid mixer and give this recipe another go.

Filling:
1 package of shelled edamame
2 cups Ground turkey
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. Ground pepper
2 tbsp. Yellow curry powder
1 tsp. Dried red pepper flakes
Vegetable stock (or dashi)
1 tsp. Salt

Sauce:
Vegetable stock (or dashi)
1 bunch Watercress leaves (separated from the stems)
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. grated ginger

Dough:
4 cups flour
4 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. water

Make a well with the flour and crack the eggs into the center. Add in the salt and water. Mix the eggs and water and slowly incorporate the edges of the well. As the dough begins to form, start to knead it and roll into a ball. Knead it for a few minutes adding additional flower if needed. When your dough has been thoroughly kneaded and is no longer sticky, cover it in plastic wrap and set aside for 20 minutes.

Start sautéing the ground turkey in vegetable oil. As the meat cooks, add in the powered ingredients. When the meat is all browned, set it aside. Add the frozen edamame to a pot with vegetable stock and bring to a boil. After the edamame is cooked, separate the beans from the cooking liquid, but save the liquid. Add the edamame to a blender and add a small amount of the vegetable stock. If you add too much, you will ruin the filling, so just add a few tablespoons at a time as you blend. You want this to have the consistency of a paste. When the edamame is completely blended, remove it form the mixer so you can purée the sauce in there later.

Take the remaining vegetable stock and add in the watercress leaves. Reserve a small amount of leaves for a garnish. Add the grated garlic and bring to a simmer. After you have reached a simmer move it to a blender and purée until there are no visible leaves. Bring the liquid back to the stove to reduce some more. Let the sauce reduce until about 3/4 of it’s original volume, and at the last minute whisk in the butter.

 

Take your dough and roll it out as thin as possible. Add a dollop of the edamame purée and a spoonful of the curry turkey on top of the dough, and fold the dough over the mixture and itself. Stamp with a ravioli stamp and repeat the process creating as many ravioli as you need. Boil the ravioli and serve with the sauce. Garnish the dish with the reserved watercress leaves.

July 14th, 2007 by John (Cho-Tabetai)