Beef pastissada with gnocchi
By: Easy cook - Lak...
Published: Sunday, December 4, 2011 - 12:58pm

Ingredients




1.5 to 2 kg beef ham
2 tsp Vegeta (or similar seasoning)
150 g pancetta cut into matchsticks
3 cloves garlic, sliced into quarters
400 ml red wine
80 ml olive oil
200 g onions, chopped
150 g celeriac, cut into small pieces
150 g parsley root, cut into small pieces
120 g carrots, cut into small pieces
700 ml water
1 apple, peeled, pitted, sliced into quarters
4-6 dried figs
4-6 prunes
1 bay leaf
Rosemary needles
½ tsp dried thyme
2 tbs tomato paste
½ tsp black pepper
Gnocchi:
500 g boiled potatoes, peeled
150-200 g flour
1 egg
60 g butter
Salt

Preparation

1 Wash the meat, wipe, rub it with Vegeta. Make small pockets with a knife and  put bacon and garlic into each pocket. 2 Pour wine over the meat, cover with plastic wrap and leave to marinate in refrigerator overnight. 3 Remove the meat from wine, save the wine for later use. 4 Brown the whole meat from all sides in hot oil. Remove and put aside. 5 Sauté onions briefly in the same oil. 6 Add celery, parsley and carrots and sauté briefly. 7 Return the meat to the pan, add a little water. Cook covered over low heat for about 2 hours, occasionally adding a mixture of wine and water. 8 Add apple, figs and prunes to the half cooked meat (after about 1 h). 9 Before the end of cooking add laurel, rosemary, thyme, tomato paste and pepper, bring to the boil. 10 Remove the meat and bay leaf. Puree vegetables and the liquid in a blender. 11 Slice the meat; cover each slice with the sauce. Serve with gnocchi. 12 Easy tip: when adding water and wine during cooking, do not stir, just shake the pan. 13 Gnocchi: 14 Mash potatoes while still hot. 15 Add flour, egg, butter and salt and make dough. 16 Divide the dough into smaller pieces, shape each one into a thin roll and cut into the equal sized pieces. 17 Leave the gnocchi to stand for 1 hour before cooking. 18 Cook them in a lot of salty, boiling water for 10 minutes (let them cook a little more after they rise to the surface). 19 Take them out with a slotted spoon or strain in a colander.

About

Croatian beef pastissada is a tender, mouthwatering specialty.