Rice gnocchi with fish and vegetables

On the menu of any Chinese restaurant you won’t fail to see this dish. Rice dumplings do not resemble in any way the gnocchi of Italian cookery, but they are interesting and tasty. To begin with you must get hold of the rice dumplings, an ingredient which is not easy to find in Italy but readily available in many ethnic food shops. Maybe, if you've never tasted them before, you might at first find them a little chewy, but we guarantee it will only be a first impression, and almost everyone will want to have a second taste. You’ll find them in Chinese shops in the "dry" products section. You need to soak them before cooking: remember that you have to soak them for at least 12 hours. If you are going to make these rice dumplings, it’s best to get organised the night before. We suggest eating them with vegetables and mussels, but if you are not particularly fond of mussels or fish in general, you can have them with a simple vegetable sauce. Here’s the recipe!

Soak the rice dumplings for 12 hours, so plan ahead. Take the vegetables and cut them into julienne strips, but not too thin. Clean the prawns and mussels. Cook the dumplings in boiling water until they float. Once cooked chuck them in cold water to stop their cooking. Now in a large wok, add 3-4 tablespoons of sesame oil over a high heat. When the oil is hot throw in all the vegetables and fry them together until they give up their moisture. Then add the mussels: cook everything together. Just before the mussels open, add the prawns and spice it all up with a little cumin and ginger. When the prawns take on colour, add the rice dumplings, fry for a minute and serve!