Sweet Potato Dumplings and Spinach Gratin

Serve with roast chicken, pork loin or lamb, sautéed mushroom ragout and escarole, orange and red onion salad.

2 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed well (680-800 g total)
1¼ tsp. sea salt (6 mL)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (30 mL)
1½ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached (375 mL)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
⅛ tsp. nutmeg, freshly grated (0.5 mL)
fresh baby spinach (280 g)
1 tsp. garlic, minced (5 mL)
½ cup heavy cream (125 mL)
¼ cup chicken broth (50 mL)
6¼ Tbsp. Gruyère cheese, coarsely grated (91 mL)
1 Tbsp. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated (15 mL)

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6). Position the oven rack in the middle position. Lightly grease a 14" gratin dish or baking dish with a similar volume of 8 cups.

Prick the sweet potatoes with the tip of a paring knife several times and place on a baking sheet. Bake (middle rack) until they are very tender, about 1¼ hours.

Let them cool completely, then scrape out the potato flesh and put it either through a ricer or a food mill, or purée it in a food processor. Transfer it to a medium bowl; you should have about 1¾ cups. Discard the skins.

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C/210°C fan, Gas Mark 8).

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Lightly flour a work surface.

Add the egg, the 1¼ tsp. salt and the nutmeg to the pureed potato, stirring until smooth. Fold in the 1½ cups flour and stir until barely incorporated.

If the mixture is stiff enough so that an inserted spoon can stand in it, proceed with the next step. If it doesn’t, add a little more flour a few Tbsp. at a time, stirring just until incorporated, to form a dough that holds its shape.

Use a level Tbsp. to portion the dough into (rough-shaped) balls, placing them on the floured surface as you work.

You should end up with about 36 balls.

Add half the balls to the boiling water, reduce the heat to medium and cook the dumplings until they all float, for 2-3 minutes. Use a spider or slotted spoon to transfer the dumplings to the gratin dish. Repeat with the remaining balls.

Melt the 2 Tbsp. of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter just starts to brown, add half the spinach, stirring until most of the spinach has wilted.

Add the remaining spinach and a hefty pinch of salt; cook until all the spinach has wilted and most of the moisture it gave off has evaporated.

Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then use a slotted spoon to transfer the spinach to the gratin dish.

Combine the heavy cream and broth in a large liquid measuring cup, then pour it over the spinach. Sprinkle the cheeses evenly over the top.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the liquid is bubbling around the edges. Serve hot.

Makes 6 servings.