Prosciutto wrapped ono fillets served with pan-seared ricotta gnudi and basil cream.
Wahoo, or ono as it is called here in Hawaii, is a tropical fish with firm white flesh and mild flavor. Almost any white fish can be substituted for this recipe. I would suggest halibut, cod, or sea bass if ono is unavailable.
Gnudi are dumplings made of ricotta, parmesan, and semolina. Recipes vary. Some have eggs for structure, flour to dry the mix, and herbs or spinach for flavor. The dumplings are normally boiled in salted water and occasionally seared. But I wanted a dumpling with a crispy exterior and a tender cheesy interior so, I shallow fried them.
The recipe for the gnudi has to be started three days in advance to give them time to dry out and firm up. They will still be fragile, requiring a light touch during frying. To shape the gnudi, I used two spoons and formed the filling like a quenelle. They can also be shaped into balls using a small scoop.
The sauce for this dish is made similarly to beurre blanc. It is started by reducing wine with herbs and spices, adding cream, and reducing again, straining off the spices, seasoning to taste, and finishing with fresh basil. Sorry, no butter, but you can add some if you need to!
I served this dish with green beans sautéed with caramelized onions and garlic. I didn’t include the recipe, but you can make them by blanch the green beans until tender, caramelize onions in butter, add minced garlic and the green beans. Heat them through and season to taste.
Prosciutto Wrapped Ono with Crispy Gnudi
Ingredients
Gnudi
- 1 pound 13 oz whole milk ricotta
- 1 egg
- 4 oz parmesan grated
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- semolina as needed to cover
Fish
- 6 slices prosciutto
- 6 4-5 oz ono fillets
- pepper
Basil Cream
- 1 cup white wine
- 1/2 lemon
- 8 black peppercorns
- 1/2 shallot chopped 1 tbsp
- 2 stems basil
- 1 clove garlic chopped
- 1 1/2 cups cream
- 1/3 cup basil chopped fine
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Gnudi
- Strain the ricotta for 1 hour before making the gnudi. Line a sheet pan with a thick layer of semolina. Mix the ricotta, egg, parmesan, and nutmeg. Season with a little salt if needed. Using two spoons, form the ricotta into oval shapes and place them on top of the semolina about 1/2 inch apart. When all of the gnudi have been shaped cover with more semolina. Place them uncovered in the refrigerator for 3 days to dry out. On the last day, remove the gnudi from the semolina. They should have a dry exterior coating of semolina.
- When the fish is in the oven begin frying the gnudi. Heat a large skillet with a thin layer of oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the gnudi to the pan in batches. Flip them over to brown on all sides. Drain on paper towels and keep warm until ready to serve.
Ono
- Season the ono with pepper. Lay the prosciutto slices out flat. Lay the fish at one end and roll it in the prosciutto. This can be done a day in advance. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Heat a large skillet with 2 tbsps of oil over medium heat. When the oil shimmers add the fish. Brown it on all sides, transfer it to a sheet pan, and cook in the oven for 8-10 minutes 130-135 degrees.
Basil Cream
- In a small pot combine the wine, shallots, garlic, peppercorn, and basil stems. Add the lemon to the pot, squeezing the juice in first. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and reduce to 1/4 cup. Add the cream to the pan and reduce it to half. Strain the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Keep over low heat until ready to serve. When ready to serve add the chopped basil. Spoon a thin layer of sauce on the plate. Top with gnudi, and the fish. Serve immediately.
