Noques au Parmesan

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •2-quart stainless-steel mixing bowl
• •Narrow bowl and small balloon whisk
• •Wide 4-quart saucepan or sauté pan
• •Two teaspoons and a slotted spoon
• •Clean lint-free kitchen towel
• •8-inch skillet
• •1½-quart deep porcelain serving bowl

Instructions

1. 1

   Warm the basin

   Fill a medium stainless-steel bowl with very hot tap water and leave it for 3 minutes. Pour out the water and dry the bowl thoroughly; it should feel comfortably warm against your palm, not hot enough to melt butter. Bring the 3 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon of the salt to a full boil in a wide pan, then lower it to a bare simmer while you mix the paste.

   Water left in the warmed bowl interferes with the butter base. Wipe the inside completely dry before the first ingredient goes in.
2. 2

   Build the butter base

   Put the soft Manied Butter (No. 151) into the warm bowl. Work it vigorously with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, the pepper, and nutmeg until perfectly smooth. Beat in the whole egg in four small additions, allowing each to disappear before adding the next, then add the yolk the same way. If the mixture turns grainy and begins leaking fat, stop adding egg and hold the bowl over the warm poaching water for 5 seconds while beating; continue slowly once it smooths. Ça se rattrape. If the mixture becomes shiny and runny, the bowl is too hot, so set it on a cool damp towel until the butter regains its creamy body.

3. 3

   Fold in lightness

   Work the flour into the butter mixture in three additions, stopping as soon as the paste is smooth and no dry flour remains. In a narrow, spotless bowl, whisk the measured egg white until it holds a stiff, glossy peak. Fold one-third of the white briskly into the paste to loosen it, then fold in the remainder with broad strokes. Use the mixture promptly; long stirring or waiting knocks out the air that keeps the noques tender.

4. 4

   Test the poach

   Return the salted water to a boil, then lower the heat until only lazy bubbles break the surface. Dip two teaspoons in the water and use them to shape one rounded teaspoon of paste, about 8 g and the size of a hazelnut. Drop this test noque into the pan. It should hold together, rise within 1 to 2 minutes, and cook through after 2 further minutes; cut it open and look for a tender, evenly set centre. If it frays, the water is boiling too hard. Lower the heat and test again. If it still spreads, chill the paste for 8 to 10 minutes so the butter can regain body, then retest.

5. 5

   Poach and drain

   Shape and poach the remaining noques in batches of 8 to 10, keeping them small and leaving enough room for the water to move around them. Hold the water at a quiet poach and cook each batch for 2 minutes after the noques float. Lift them with a slotted spoon and set them in a single layer on a clean lint-free towel to drain. Transfer each drained batch to a warmed deep serving bowl and cover loosely. The towel does precisely the work of the original linen, with no special equipment required.

6. 6

   Finish with beurre noisette

   While the last batch poaches, melt the unsalted butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Let it foam, then watch closely as the foam quiets and the milk solids turn hazelnut brown. Pull the pan from the heat as soon as the butter smells nutty; it continues darkening in the pan. If the solids turn black or smell bitter, start again, because burnt butter cannot be coaxed backward. Heap the noques in the warmed bowl, sprinkle them copiously with Parmesan, and spoon the beurre noisette over the top, including its toasted milk solids. Serve at once. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The Manied Butter (No. 151) should be freshly made and soft enough to take the mark of a finger, but never oily. A cold component resists the eggs; a melted one cannot hold them.
• •A narrow bowl or measuring jug makes the small quantity of egg white easier to whip. Measure 15 g from one loosened large white, then whisk it by hand until the peak stands upright.
• •Grate the Parmesan finely from a piece so it softens against the hot noques. Coarse shreds sit on top in ropes instead of becoming part of the buttered surface.
• •Keep the noques genuinely hazelnut-sized. Large dumplings become heavy before their centres cook, while small ones swell lightly and take the Parmesan and butter on every side.
• •Serve them beside roast chicken, a veal chop, or mushrooms sautéed in butter. A dry Alsatian Pinot Blanc has enough freshness for the beurre noisette without bullying the dumplings.

Advance Preparation

• •Measure the flour and seasonings and grate the Parmesan up to one day ahead. Bring the eggs to room temperature before mixing, and prepare the Manied Butter (No. 151) immediately before it is needed.
• •The finished paste should not wait because the folded white loses volume. If scheduling demands it, poach the noques up to 4 hours ahead, cool them promptly in a single layer, cover, and chill. Rewarm them for about 1 minute in barely simmering salted water, drain well, then add the Parmesan and beurre noisette.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 105g)