Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Lobster and Shitake in sweet and spicy ginger broth

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Lobster and Shitake in sweet and spicy ginger broth

by Carrie Derr Mason

The Wine Dive recommends Simply Naked Chardonnay to be paired with this dish.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi:

3 pounds sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled and processed through a ricer (or finely mashed)

2 cups flour

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon brown sugar

Place cooled mashed potatoes in a large mixing bowl, Make a well in the center, add the egg, salt, sugar and flour. Mix until a ball forms, If it is a little too sticky, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time. Depending on how wet your potatoes are, you may need to add several. I cooked the potatoes in the microwave, so mine took the 2 cups only.

Once the dough is formed, break off pieces about the size of a tennis ball, roll lightly into a ball, then rolling back and forth roll out to dowel shape about 16" long. Cut into 3/4-1" pieces, roll on a fork to make ridges. Drop into salted boiling water until they float to the top. Drain. Coat with olive oil and reserve.

Sweet and Spicy Ginger Broth:

4 Tablespoons butter

1 large clove garlic, crushed

4 Tablespoons fresh grated ginger

4 large Shiitake mushrooms, chopped

3/4 cup sake

8 ounces clam juice

1 cup vegetable broth

2 Tablespoons fish sauce

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon hot chili oil

6 small lobster tails (I used 4 ounce tails)

6 whole Shiitake (for garnish, optional)

Heat the butter in a stockpot. Add the garlic, ginger and shiitake, saute until fragrant and the garlic is golden, about 3 minutes. Add the sake, reduce by 1/3, add the remaining ingredients (except lobster tails) bring to simmer. Add lobster tails, simmer in the broth until opaque and cooked through. Remove to a platter, pull the meat from the shell, and cover to keep warm.

To plate, ladle the hot broth over the cooked gnocchi, top with a lobster tail and garnish with a whole shiitake mushroom or a few slices of pickled ginger.