Home-made Gnocchi

Hi guys!


It's Meat Free Monday again and I've been looking for something other than pasta or rice this week, so I've chosen gnocchi. Originating from Italy, they are little small potato-flour-rounds cooked in salted water. I love that they are incredibly versatile. You can pair them with any sauce you like. Paired with cheesy, creamy Gorgonzola sauce they are a classic dish, but they are just as tasteful accompanied by a light Tomato sauce or any type of pesto. You can buy them at any grocery store or get down to business and make them yourself. It's not as hard as you might expect. I am going to take you through the recipe step by step. It's actually quite fool-proof.


Here's the recipe:


1 kg starchy potatoes
coarse sea salt
100g (2/3 cup) all-purpose flour
salt
pepper
2 egg yolks


Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Line a baking tray with salt. Be sure to use a generous amount. The salt will help absorb the moisture from the potatoes which is crucial for ending up with fluffy gnocchi. Place the potatoes on the baking tray and cook them in the oven for 1 hour. 

When they're cooked, scrape the flesh out of the shell with a tablespoon and place in bowl. Mash the flesh using a masher or a ricer. The texture might vary depending on what tool you're using. I am using a masher.

Add the flour, salt and pepper for seasoning and mix to combine. Add the egg yolks and stir until a uniform mixture. Knead the dough for about a minute on a lightly dusted surface. Don't knead your dough too much, because the gluten will be set free and make your gnocchi tough rather than light and fluffy. 


Split the dough in half. Roll each half to a string of about 2cm width (a little less than one inch).  

Cut the string into 2cm (little less than one inch) pieces and spread on a flour-dusted baking tray. Use measuring tape or a ruler to ensure even-sized gnocchi. They should be the same size to make sure they are cooking at the same time later.

At this point, you can freeze any excess gnocchi. I like to make a huge batch and freeze them for later use. That way, you have to work once and can benefit from it later.


Making gnocchi is a great Sunday project when you have some spare time. I have thrown mine in the oven with a few different kind of vegetables and a splash of basic tomato sauce. I will share the recipe with you tomorrow!


Have fun trying! I promise it's worth the effort!