Gnocchi di Patate
Gnocchi di Patate
(basic potato dumpling)
4 medium-size Idaho or russet potatoes (about 2 pounds)
1 tablespoon salt
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
1 1/2 to 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F Wash and dry the potatoes. With a knife, make a
long incision in the potatoes lengthwise, about 1/2 inch deep. Put the potatoes in the
oven and bake until they are tender, 45 to 55 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel
the potatoes and put them through a food mill or potato ricer directly into a large bowl.
Add the salt, egg yolk, and 1 1/2 cups of the flour. Mix it all
together with your hands until the dough begins to stick together. Transfer the mixture to
a wooden board and knead lightly, gradually adding the remaining flour if the dough sticks
heavly to the board and to your hands. ( The making of the dough should take no longer
than 4 to 5 minutes.) The dough is ready when it is soft, pliable, and just a bit sticky.
Cut the dough into pieces the size of an orange. Flour your hands lightly. Using both your
hands, roll out each piece of dough with a light back and forth motion into a roll about
the thickness of your thumb (looks like a rope). Cut each roll into 1-inch pieces.
Hold a fork with its times against a work board, the curved part of the fork facing away
from you. Starting from the outside bottom of the curve, press each piece of dough with
your index finger firmly upward along the length of the tines. Let the Gnocchi fall back
onto the surface. Roll out the remaining pieces of dough. Place the gnocchi on a lightly
floured platter or baking sheet; they can be cooked
immedietly or be kept in the refrigerator uncovered for several hours or overnite, until
ready to cook
Makes 4 servings.
Also rather than rolling the gnocchi up the tines of a fork you can make a indention with
you thumb in the middle. Just something the help the sauce cling.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and the gnocchi. Cook,
uncovered over high heat until the gnocchi rise to the surface of the water, 1 to 2
minutes. Remove the gnocchi with a
slotted spoon or a skimmer.
Tips
The Flour. When you add the flour to the other ingredients, always start with a bit
less than the recipe suggests. You can always add more, but you can't take it out
once it is incorporated into the dough.
The Dough. For any kind of gnocchi, the dough should not be kneaded too long, the longer
the dough is kneaded, the more flour it will absorb. The result will be heavier gnocchi.
The Eggs. There is no doubt that eggless gnocchi are lighter. They are, however,
considerably trickier to keep together. (this applies only to potato gnocchi)
Testing the Gnocchi. Before you prepare a whole batch of gnocchi, cook one to determine
its consistency. If it is too soft or it falls apart in the water, you must knead in a bit
more flour. If the gnocchi is heavy and chewy, you have probably added too much flour.
To boil the Gnocchi. Use a large pot with pleanty of water (5 to 6 quarts for 4 servings)
so that they won't stick together.
Freezing. Never freeze. Frozen gnocchi when cooked are mushy .
CKochsimmo
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We will be known by the tracks we leave behind
"Dakota
Proverb"
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