Try rich aubergine and ricotta balls or gnocchi with miso butter as mains, and finish with spiced rum and currant dumplings in a caramel sauce

There are two types of dumplings and, like my two children (who are also rather dumplingy), I love them both equally. I adore the stuffed ones – the dim sums and pierogis of this world – for the contrast between the springy casing and soft, steamy inside.

The ball-shaped type – dumplings that are the same all the way through and puff up while they cook in a soup, stew or sauce – I admire for their light texture and complex, rich flavour. So my decision to feature the latter this week is in no way a sign of favouritism; it’s just that they also make wonderful puddings. And what better way to end a dumpling feast than on a sweet note?

Aubergine and ricotta dumplings in tomato sauce (pictured above)

Prep 25 min

Cook 1 hr 50 min

Serves 4

These are like melanzane alla parmigiana in meatball form. They are gloriously rich and cheesy. Some lightly cooked greens would go well with them.

90g fresh breadcrumbs, ideally sourdough (ie, from 2-3 slices)

4 aubergines, cut into roughly 2½cm cubes (1kg net weight)

150ml olive oil

Salt and black pepper

100g ricotta

75g parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve

2½ tbsp parsley leaves, finely chopped

1 whole egg, plus 1 yolk extra

1½ tbsp plain flour

6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

4 tbsp basil leaves, roughly chopped

600g tinned peeled plum tomatoes (ie 1½ 400g tins), blitzed smooth

1½ tsp tomato paste

1½ tsp caster sugar

¼ tsp chilli flakes

¾ tsp paprika

2 tsp fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped

45g pitted kalamata olives, torn in half

Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/390F/gas 4. Spread out the breadcrumbs on an oven tray and bake for 12 minutes, until lightly browned and dried out. Remove, leave to cool and turn up the oven to 240C (220C)/465F/gas 9.

On a large oven tray lined with baking paper, toss the aubergines in 75ml oil, half a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Spread out on the tray, bake for 30 minutes, tossing once halfway, until golden brown, then chop into a chunky mash and put in a large bowl. Mix in the ricotta, parmesan, parsley, egg, extra yolk, flour, breadcrumbs, a third of the garlic, two and a half tablespoons of basil, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. With lightly oiled hands, shape the mix into 16 golf-ball-sized dumplings, each weighing about 55g, and compress so they hold together.

Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large, nonstick frying pan on a medium-high flame, and fry half the dumplings for three to four minutes, turning them until golden brown all over (adjust the heat if they’re browning too much), then transfer to a plate and repeat with the rest of the dumplings.

Heat the remaining two tablespoons of oil in the same pan, fry the remaining garlic for a minute, until fragrant, then stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, chilli, paprika, oregano, a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, for eight minutes, or until thickened slightly. Pour in 400ml water, bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the dumplings and cook for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

Remove from the heat, scatter over the olives, the last of the basil and a grating of parmesan, and serve straight from the pan.

Swede gnocchi with miso butter and morning glory

This Asian twist on an Italian classic is so delicious, it is well worth the effort involved. I use a piping bag to get the gnocchi into the boiling water, because that saves on time and effort in shaping them. Serve as a first course.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Swede gnocchi with miso butter and morning glory.

Prep 15 min

Cook 1 hr 45 min

Chill 1 hr 20 min

Serves 6

400g maris piper potatoes (ie, 1-2)

2-3 small swedes, peeled and cut into roughly 2cm cubes (600g net weight)

60ml olive oil

1 egg yolk

Salt

155g ‘00’ pasta flour

500ml chicken stock

200g morning glory, or baby spinach

1 tbsp white miso paste

1 lime – zest finely grated, to get 1 tsp, then juiced, to get 2 tsp

2cm piece ginger, peeled and grated

50g unsalted butter, cut into 1½ cm cubes

2 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 tsp white sesame seeds, toasted

Heat the oven to 240C (220C fan)/465F/gas 9. Wrap each potato in foil and bake for an hour, or until cooked through. Peel the potatoes while they’re still warm (discard the skins), then mash into a bowl with a potato ricer or masher – you should end up with 230g of smooth mash.

When the potatoes are in the oven, put the diced swede on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Toss in half a tablespoon of olive oil, cover with foil and bake alongside the potatoes for 30 minutes, or until cooked through. Transfer to a food processor, add two tablespoons of oil and blitz smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go – you should end up with 320g of mashed swede. Put the swedes in the same bowl as the potatoes, then mix in the egg yolk and a quarter-teaspoon of salt. Fold in the flour until there are no lumps, then transfer to a piping bag and refrigerate for an hour.

Snip the end of the bag to make a 2cm-wide opening. Bring a litre and a half of water to a boil in a medium pan, add two teaspoons of salt, then turn down to a simmer. Cook the gnocchi in about five batches, so as not to overcrowd the pan. Pipe 3cm pieces of the gnocchi mix into the water, using a small, sharp knife quickly to release them into the water. Cook for two to three minutes, or until they float to the top, then lift out with a slotted spoon and transfer to an oven tray lined with baking paper, spacing the gnocchi well apart.

Once all the gnocchi are cooked, drizzle over two teaspoons of oil and refrigerate for 20 minutes, until slightly chilled; this will help them keep their shape when they’re fried.

Bring the stock to a boil in a large saute pan, and cook down for 10-12 minutes, until reduced to 200ml. Blanch the morning glory in the hot stock for two minutes, until tender, then lift out with a slotted spoon and roughly cut into halves (skip this step if using spinach; add that raw to the pan later). Return the pan to a medium heat and whisk in the miso, lime juice, ginger and butter, and cook, whisking, for three minutes, until the butter melts and the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Do not let it boil or it will split.

Heat the remaining tablespoon and a half of oil in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat. Once very hot, add half the gnocchi and fry for a minute or two on each side, until nicely browned. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining gnocchi.

Put the gnocchi and morning glory (or raw spinach) in the pan with the miso sauce and gently heat through for a minute (if using spinach, until it has wilted). Divide between four plates, sprinkle with the lime zest, spring onions and sesame seeds, and serve at once.

Rum and currant dumplings with speculaas caramel

These are based on a traditional South African dumpling dish, souskluitjies, to which I was introduced by Louise Van Niekerks and her daughter, Barbara Alberts. You can swap the speculaas mix for a combination of any sweet spices you have in your cupboard, such as cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg. If you do make it, though, you’ll have much more than you need for this, so use the rest in muffins, cakes or cookies.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Yotam Ottolenghi’s rum and currant dumplings with speculaas caramel.

Prep 10 min

Cook 1 hr 45 min

Serves 4-6

For the spice mix

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground aniseed

¾ tsp white pepper

¾ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cardamom

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp ground cloves

For the sauce

240g caster sugar

650ml water

1 tsp speculaas spice mix (see above)

For the dumplings

50g currants

50ml rum

15g unsalted butter

1 tbsp golden syrup

130ml whole milk

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

190g plain flour, sifted

Flaked sea salt

1 lemon, zest finely grated, to get ½ tsp, and juiced, to get 1 tbsp

Vanilla ice-cream or creme fraiche, to serve

40g skin on almonds, finely chopped

Mix all the speculaas spice mix ingredients and store in a small jar.

On a medium heat, warm the sugar, water and a teaspoon of speculaas mix in a 20cm saucepan for which you have a lid, until the sugar dissolves.

Put the currants and rum in a small saucepan on a medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, simmer for a minute, then tip into a bowl and leave to plump up for 20 minutes. Return the pan to the heat, add the butter and golden syrup, cook just until the butter has melted, then set aside. In a small bowl, whisk the milk and bicarb. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, half a teaspoon of flaked salt, the milk mix, syrup mixture, currants, rum and lemon zest into a smooth batter.

Bring the sugar syrup to a boil on a medium-high heat. Use two dessertspoons to form the batter into 12 walnut-sized balls (they won’t be perfect) and carefully lower them one by one into the bubbling syrup – they will start to puff up quickly. Turn the heat to low, cover and leave to simmer very gently for 70 minutes, resisting the urge to lift the lid. The dumplings will double in size and the syrup will turn to a thick, dark caramel.

Stir in the lemon juice, then divide the dumplings and caramel between four (or six) bowls. Sprinkle with sea salt, top with a spoon of ice-cream or crème fraiche, sprinkle over the almonds and serve at once.