Patrice Olivon

Chef Patrice Olivon

Patrice Olivon, host of the PBS series Dinner is Served, is part of a new wave of chefs taking cooking to exciting and dramatic new levels. Born in Casablanca and raised in Provence, Chef Patrice’s culinary style is inspired by the cuisine of Southern France, emphasizing fresh, local ingredients.

Chef Patrice shines when he explains his craft to others – his charisma and culinary expertise draw in culinary students and audiences across the country. Currently the Program Director of Culinary Arts at L'Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, Maryland, Chef Patrice obtained his culinary degree from Ecole Hôtelière de Marseille, and then cooked at the renowned Negresco Hotel with Michelin two-star Chef Jacques Maximin.

Relocating to Washington, DC in 1979, Chef Patrice first worked at Le Palais des Friandises and then was the sous chef at La Maison Blanche for twelve years. Chef Patrice achieved the position of Executive Chef of the Embassy of France and excelled there for twelve years. At the Embassy, he drew upon his French and Moroccan roots, serving cuisine with a sensual, ethnic flair.

Chef Patrice cooked at the White House for formal affairs and private parties under both President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush. In 1993, First Lady Hillary Clinton called upon Chef Patrice, along with the country's most talented chefs, to "Americanize" White House cuisine. Chef Patrice helped revolutionize State Dinners and private functions - elegant, plated courses showcasing regional American ingredients replaced traditional menus and buffets.

Chef Patrice has appeared on The Food Network's Food Fight and Iron Chef America, and has also demonstrated his culinary skills at live cooking shows at the Smithsonian Folklife Festivals, Food Culture USA, the Roots of Virgina Culture, and more.

The Italians are famous for pizza, pasta, and also gnocchi, a thick, soft dumpling. Though you can find prepared gnocchi in most supermarkets, I prefer making them as the Italians did back in Roman times - by hand. Including potato in gnocchi was a wonderful 16th century innovation, and I like to add butternut squash for greater nutritional value and flavor. A Vita-Mix blender works extremely well for gnocchi because of the supreme speed capabilities of the machine, which results in gnocchi with a very smooth texture. This recipe makes eight entrée portions of 16-17 gnocchi per portion. I suggest serving them with your favorite sauce, as a gratiné, or deliciously plain.

Difficulty: medium
Prep time: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Cook time: between 1 hour nad 1 hour and 25 minutes
Yields: 8 entreé portions, about 16-17 gnocchi per serving. 16 appetizer portions, about 8-9 gnocchi per serving

Ingredients:
6 medium size potatoes, baked (this will measure 2 cups after cooking)
1 medium butternut squash, baked (measure 1 1/2 cups after cooking)
2 tablespoons olive oil for brushing the squash
Salt
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 to 2 cups all purpose flour, plus 1/2 cup for dusting
4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste

Special Equipment:
Vita-Mix Professional Series blender
Vita-Mix tamper
Vita-Mix extra long spatula
potato ricer

Procedure:
Prepare the vegetables: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Cut the butternut squash in half length-wise, remove the seeds with a large spoon, brush the orange flesh with olive oil, generously sprinkle it with salt, and place the two halves in a baking dish. Scrub the potatoes, pierce them with a fork 4-5 times to allow steam to escape as they are baked, then add them to the baking dish with the squash. Bake the vegetables for one hour. They are done when the blade of a knife easily cuts through the flesh of both vegetables. If either vegetable resists, bake for another 15 minutes or until done. Turn the oven off but leave the vegetables in the oven, allowing the vegetables to dry and cool for about half-an-hour.

Purée the butternut squash: With a large spoon, scoop the flesh of the butternut squash from its skin and place into the Professional Series container and secure lid. Select Variable 1. Turn the machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High. Blend about 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the squash is silky and smooth. You may need to use the tamper to help distribute the squash evenly around the blade.

Make the gnocchi dough: Cut the potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh with a large spoon. Press the warm baked potato through a potato ricer into a medium sized bowl. Add the egg yolks and gently mix the potato and yolks with a spatula, avoiding over-mixing because it makes the gnocchi tough. Using the Vita-Mix extra long spatula, transfer the butternut squash purée to the bowl. Add the flour, Parmesan cheese, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper, then slowly mix the ingredients by hand until they are well incorporated. Add a little more flour if the dough is still too sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the gnocchi dough for half-an-hour to an hour.

Form the gnocchi: Dust the work area with flour. With a knife, divide the gnocchi dough into 4 batches. By hand, roll the first batch of dough into a cylinder about 1- inch in diameter. Cut the cylinder into 1-inch pieces with a knife. Dust the work surface with flour as necessary and repeat the process with the remaining dough until all the dough is used. This recipe will make between 130 to 140 pieces of gnocchi.

Boil the gnocchi and cool in an ice bath: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add a generous amount of salt and about a tablespoon of olive oil. While the water is boiling, prepare an ice bath: place 4 cups of ice cubes in a large bowl and add about 2 quarts of cold water. Working in batches, add the gnocchi to the boiling water, wait until the water comes back to a full boil and cook for 3 minutes – when they bob to the surface, they are done. With a small hand strainer, transfer the gnocchi to the ice bath to stop the cooking process. When they are cold, drain off the water, transfer them to a storage container and sprinkle a little olive oil on them to keep them from sticking together. Keep the gnocchi refrigerated until you’re ready to serve.

Sauté and serve the gnocchi: Heat a bit of butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Turn up the heat to high and sauté the gnocchi until they turn a light brown color, then serve immediately. As an alternative, stir the gnocchi into a warm sauce of your choice. You can also serve the gnocchi as a gratiné. After sautéing the gnocchi, place them in a gratin dish, cover them with tomato sauce, add grated Parmesan cheese and place the dish in a preheated oven at 400 degrees until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately. The gnocchi can be stored in the refrigerator in a closed container for 3 to 4 four days.