gnocchi
Just Google “gnocchi,” and you’ll find many many methods and rules for how it should be made and handled. When I decided to test it for this cookbook, it was so much easier than chefy types have led me to believe. The pros are onto something, though, with using a ricer or food mill, but you can get away with mashing your potatoes by hand. I’d say you better be in touch with your spirit guides for this one kids, ’cause you’re going to be relying on some cosmic intuition to know when the dough has been handled just enough, has the perfect amount of flour, and is ready to be made into soft pillowy morsels for your mouth. So it’s a good thing I took pictures for you! It’s honestly not as hard as you might think.
MAKES 6 to 8 servings
PREP TIME 70 minutes
COOK TIME 50 minutes
PREP AHEAD
The Parm (this page)
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds peeled, cubed sweet potatoes (2 to 3 potatoes)
2 teaspoons sea salt
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1½ to 2 cups all-purpose flour
6 to 8 tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
4 cups stemmed, finely chopped Lacinato kale
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Ground pepper
The Parm
To make the dough, bring a pot of cold water with the cubed sweet potatoes and 1 teaspoon of the salt to a boil. Cook until a fork easily pierces the sweet potatoes, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes well and let cool.
Pass the potatoes through a food mill or ricer onto a work surface. Or mash with a potato masher, being sure there are no big chunks of potato. You will need about 2½ cups mashed potatoes.
Sprinkle the potatoes with the nutmeg, cinnamon, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 cup of the flour. Using your hands and the help of a dough cutter or spatula, fold the mixture in overlapping layers a few times until most of the flour is mixed in.
Add ½ to 1 cup of the remaining flour to the dough while folding but do not overmix or add too much flour. You should still see flour as you fold the dough the last couple of times. The dough should still feel fairly soft and resemble potato but be able to hold its shape. Shape the dough into a loaf and let it rest on a floured surface for 10 to 15 minutes.
Flour another area of your work surface for cutting and shaping the gnocchi. Flour 2 baking sheets to hold the gnocchi.
Make sure your hands are generously floured. Flatten the dough into a ½-inch-thick rectangle approximately 6 inches by 9 inches. Flour a sharp knife or a dough cutter and cut the rectangle lengthwise into nine 1-inch-thick rows. Cut each row in half into strips. Roll out each strip into a rope about ¾ inch in diameter. Cut crosswise into small pieces just slightly wider than ½ inch. You will have 140 to 160 pieces.
Place the pieces on the floured baking sheets and cover with tea towels. You should boil the gnocchi soon after making them, or you can freeze the uncooked gnocchi between layers of parchment paper in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Cook the frozen gnocchi, without thawing, as directed in the following step when ready to serve.
To cook the gnocchi, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Place batches of the gnocchi in the boiling water. They will take 2 to 3 minutes to cook and will float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a large platter or place the batches directly in a hot skillet to continue cooking.
While the gnocchi are boiling, heat a cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan over medium-low heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté 1 or 2 cloves of the minced garlic, 2 teaspoons of the sage, and a small handful of the kale for 1 to 2 minutes until the garlic is soft and fragrant and the kale has just started to wilt. Add a batch of the gnocchi and about 2 teaspoons of the lemon juice. Brown the gnocchi 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove to serving dishes, season with salt and pepper, and top with The Parm to taste.
Cook the gnocchi in batches of 1 or 2 servings depending on the size of your pan, but don’t overcrowd it. Add more olive oil to the pan to cook the next batches in the same fashion.
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