BEAUFORT AND RIESLING FONDUE RAVIOLI GREEN PEPPERCORNS, SUNCHOKES
ONCE IN MY New York apartment on a cold February night, I decided to invite Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Alfred Portale, and Gray Kunz, among many famous toques, for a fondue party. Each chef headed his own pot and made his own fondue recipe, convinced his was the best. Late into the night, we stirred our bread croutons into the gooey cheese, eating cured ham and viande des grisons and downing plenty of Kirshwasser shooters! Why not fill a ravioli with fondue? As a French cook, I love pasta, but I’ll make it my way! With it, I capture the memories of that moment of friendship and fun. Under soft domes, we uncover the rich complexity of a blend of Fontina, Comté, and tart Beaufort cheese from the Alps, mixed with béchamel, rich riesling, and nutmeg, the often-hidden ingredient of the fondue.
Servings
6
Servings
6
Ingredients
Beaufort Ravioli
Sunchokes
Wild Mushroom Sauce
To Finish
Instructions
For the Beaufort Ravioli
  1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until it is cooked but not colored. Add the flour and continue stirring for 3 minutes without browning. Whisk in the wine and simmer until reduced by one-third. Whisk in the milk and heavy cream and return to a simmer. Cook over low heat, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cheeses until melted. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. While still warm, transfer the fondue to a piping bag.
  2. Place a spherical Flexipan mold (we use a 96-form Flexipan Pomponettes Mold) on a flat surface and fill each of at least 36 cups with 1 green peppercorn and then the fondue. Spread with a small offset metal spatula to level off the tops. Freeze until solid.
  3. Remove the pasta dough from the refrigerator to rest at room temperature for 1 hour. Sprinkle the counter with flour, unwrap the dough, and divide it into 4 equal pieces. Roll the pieces of dough through a pasta machine until about 12 inches by 5 inches and thin enough to see your hand through. While working, cover the dough with sheets of plastic wrap to keep it from drying.
  4. Place half of the frozen domes at 1-inch intervals on top of one sheet of pasta, and using a pastry brush, lightly moisten the dough with water. Top with a second sheet and gently press around each dome to seal the dough together and release air pockets. Using a 1½-inch fluted ring cutter, cut out the raviolis and transfer to a tray lined with flour. Repeat the process with the remaining fondue and dough, and chill the raviolis until needed.
For the Sunchokes
  1. Using a mandoline, cut 18 thin slices from a sunchoke, and using a ½-inch ring cutter, cut them into discs. Set aside. Cut the remaining sunchokes into at least 18 approximately ¾-inch-long tournés. In a small sauté pan over medium heat, brown the butter and add the tournéed sunchokes. Sauté for 2 minutes, or until golden, then add the chicken stock, bring to a simmer, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the liquid is reduced to a glaze and the sunchokes are tender, about 4 minutes. Keep warm.
For the Wild Mushroom Sauce
  1. Trim the mushrooms from their stems into bite-size pieces. Dunk in cold water; scoop and pat dry. Set aside 8 ounces of the mushrooms for finishing. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced ham, shallot, and green peppercorns and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the remaining mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes, or until golden. Add the wine and simmer until almost dry. Add the chicken stock and heavy cream and reduce by half. Season with salt and pepper. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve and reserve for finishing.
To Finish
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a medium sauté pan, heat the butter and oil over medium heat. Add the diced ham and reserved mushrooms and sauté for 4 minutes. Add the reserved mushroom sauce and green peppercorns and bring to a simmer. Boil the raviolis until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the pasta and transfer to the mushroom sauce and gently swirl to coat.
  2. For each serving, arrange 6 raviolis in a pasta bowl. Add 3 pieces of sunchoke, a spoonful of mushrooms, and enough sauce to reach halfway up the pasta. Garnish with 2 slices of shaved ham, 3 red watercress leaves, 3 frilly red mustard leaves, and 3 reserved sunchoke shavings. Crumble 1 to 2 walnuts over the top.