Although the current incarnation of California Grill is nearing the end of its run and will close for remodeling in January of 2013, there is one dish so delicious that it’s been on the menu since the beginning. Of course, the dish has been changed slightly as each chef makes their mark on the menu, but they kept the original recipe and are sharing it with us now.
The video below features Chef Brian Piasecki cooking his own version of Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli. Chef Brian is in the kitchen of one of the Golden Oak homes. I know I’m jealous!
The full recipe is below the jump:
Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli
California Grill
Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Serves 4 to 8
Clear Tomato Broth
(Note: store bought organic tomato or vegetable juice also works fine here.)
15 ripe tomatoes, quartered
1 teaspoon coarse salt, plus additional to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
3/4 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and discarded
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3/4 cup thinly sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
Roasted Garlic Purée
1 whole head garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli
1 pound soft, mild goat cheese, crumbled
2/3 cup plus 4 to 8 teaspoons grated aged goat cheese, divided
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons store-bought basil pesto
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons Roasted Garlic Purée
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water
16 eggroll wrappers*
Clear Tomato Broth, for serving
4 to 8 sprigs or pinches of baby basil leaves, for garnish
4 to 8 teaspoons of high-quality extra virgin olive oil, for garnish
For clear tomato broth:
- Working in batches, coarsely chop tomatoes and salt in a blender.
- Place a large mesh sieve lined with a double layer of damp cheesecloth over a large bowl. Pour chopped tomatoes into sieve and let mixture strain in refrigerator 24 hours.
- Press on solids, squeezing juice from pulp. Reserve liquid in bowl and discard pulp. Set tomato broth aside.
- Heat oil in a medium-large sauté pan over high heat. Add onion and mushrooms, seasoning well with salt and pepper. Sauté 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened.
- Lower heat to low and add sun-dried tomatoes. Sauté 2 minutes more. Add mixture to tomato broth.
- Heat broth in a large saucepan over medium-low heat; keep hot until ready to serve.
For roasted garlic purée:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Cut stem and top third off of garlic head. Place garlic on a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil and drizzle with oil.
- Wrap in foil, sealing edges tightly. Roast 1 hour. Unwrap garlic and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Squeeze roasted garlic from cloves into a small bowl and mash with a fork. Any unused puree can be refrigerated in a re-sealable container for up to 1 week.
For Sonoma goat cheese ravioli:
- Combine fresh goat cheese, 2/3 cup aged goat cheese, breadcrumbs, pesto, olive oil, roasted garlic puree, salt, and pepper in a large bowl; mix until well combined. Set aside.
- Whisk together egg and water in a small bowl; set aside. Lay out 8 eggroll wrappers on a work surface lightly dusted with cornstarch. Brush each wrapper with egg wash.
- Divide goat cheese mixture evenly among wrappers, dolloping mixture in the center of each square.
- Cover squares with remaining 8 wrappers. Press any air bubbles away from filling, then press all of the corners down and around filling. Use a large round cookie cutter just smaller than the eggroll wrappers to cut ravioli into large rounds.
- Cook ravioli in a large pot of boiling, salted water for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain completely.
- Serve with Clear Tomato Broth and garnish with remaining 4 to 8 teaspoons aged goat cheese, baby basil, and extra virgin olive oil, if desired.
*Look for eggroll wrappers in the produce section of most supermarkets.
Chef’s Notes: If you are not using ravioli immediately, sprinkle lightly with cornstarch, and refrigerate in a sealed container between layers of waxed paper. If you don’t want to make the tomato broth, top the ravioli with chopped, seeded, ripe tomatoes.
Thank you to Disney for sharing this recipe. Which recipe from California Grill will you miss the most when it closes?