Jan 18, Potato Gnocchi (Gnocchi di patate)

I've been waiting so long for this morning! I finally have some free time and I bought DOP Italian gorgonzola cheese on Friday.  I have plenty of Italian flour (farina 00) in my cupboard. Total time to prepare: 2 hours, but that includes the one hour needed to cook two large potatoes. I halved the recipe, since I'm only cooking for myself. I will freeze the majority of the gnocchi, uncooked.

Thoroughly work the dough with your hands for a few minutes. Knead it as you would for making bread. Sift in flour as needed, until the dough stays together and is not sticky. Form a rectangle.

Cut off a 1 inch slice. Roll the slice with hands on a floured work surface until you have a bread stick sized oblong. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces, flour lightly again. Press pieces along a fork's tines or use a wooden gnocchi form. Save formed gnocchi to a floured cookie sheet. Gnocchi should not touch each other.

Test the first batch. 

My Roman Italian maestro, Michelle Scotto suggests this:

--When in doubt, use less flour, rather than error with too much flour.

--Test your first batch.

--Boil some water.  Toss in three gnocchi.

--Watch to see if they float to the surface quickly, without falling apart.

--Taste test.  They should not be gummy or sticky.

--If all is well, continue forming the gnocchi or adjust as needed.

Continue forming the gnocchi, until the 'loaf' has been consumed.

I am fortunate to have a package of Italian butter, a gift from my friend Joanne. 

Remove cooked gnocchi from boiling water, using a slotted spoon. It's all right to take a little of the cooking water with them into the sauce pan, which already contains your cooked sauce. Simmer them for a minute in the sauce, tossing them gently. Pictured is a serving for one. I could have eaten more!

The results were YUMMY. I consulted with Marta in Cremona this morning because it's been a year since I've eaten these with my family there. I had no point of reference for sauce for just one person. I used too much butter for the sauce. The ratio should be 1 to 3 for butter/gorgonzola cheese. Marta also writes that one can use a little whole milk, in place of butter, for the sauce. I'm self critical and I see my gnocchi did not have a consistent size. I was just too excited and worked too fast, eager to eat them right away. Gnocchi are very forgiving, as long as one does not use too much flour.

I had 40 g of farina leftover, once all the gnocchi were rolled.   The flour called for, while measured precisely for the recipe, is only meant to give the cook an indication of how much flour one might need.  Some of the measured flour was used to dust the working surface and the finished rolled gnocchi.

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Potato Gnocchi

1 kilo russet potatoes  (1000 grams)

300 g flour (Farina 00)

1 egg  (for 1/2 recipe, use only the yolk)

pinch salt

Add the unpeeled russet potatoes to a large pan, filled with plenty of cool water.

Bring the water to a boil and cook for about 1 hour.  The potatoes should not split open.  Test for tenderness with a sharp knife.

Let the potatoes cool slightly, then peel.

With a ricer, push the still warm potatoes through, forming a mound on your working space.

Add the beaten egg to the mound.

Sift over the mound 1/3 of the flour.

Work the dough for just a few minutes.  Add flour as needed, until the dough stays together and is not sticky. You should have about 1/3 of the flour left.

Form the dough into a small bread shaped rectangle.

Repeat this process:

Cut off a 1 inch slice.  Roll the slice with hands on a floured surface until you have a bread stick sized oblong.  Cut into 1/2 inch pieces, flour lightly again.  Press pieces along a fork's tines or use a wooden gnocchi form. Save formed gnocchi to a floured cookie sheet.  Gnocchi should not touch each other.  May be frozen after all gnocchi have been formed.

When ready to serve the gnocchi, have a prepared a sauce prepared.

Boil the gnocchi in abundant salted water, cooking for only a minute, until they float to the surface. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and transfer into the pan which contains the cooked sauce. Simmer gnocchi with sauce for 1 minute.  Plate and serve immediately.

12-20 gnocchi per person.

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Gorgonzola Sauce

DOP Italian Gorgonzola

Butter or whole milk 

Use 1 generous Tablespoon per serving, DOP Italian Gorgonzola.

Melt very gently in a skillet pan. You may thin the sauce with a little butter or whole milk.  Only a small amount of butter should be added,  in the ratio of 1:3 or less.

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Gnocchi di patate (Giallo Zafferano)