Publication or use of pictures, recipes, articles, or any other material form my Web site, on or off-line without written permission from the author is prohibited. If you would like to use my articles on your Web site or in your publication, contact me for details. Avoid infringing copyright law and its consequences: read the article 7 Online Copyright Myths by Judith Kallos
Copyright © 2003 - 2011 Anna Maria Volpi - All Rights reserved.
Anna Maria's Open Kitchen Site Map
Some More Hot Topics You'd Like to See adv.
for the gnocchi
2 lb (approximately 1 kg) whole old russet potatoes, unpeeled
2 cups (approximately 300 gr) flour
1 egg (optional)
1 tablespoon salt
for the dressing
2 oz (60 gr) butter
4 - 5 fresh sage leaves
3 oz (90 gr) freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
Wash the potatoes, place them in a large stock pot filled with water, and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are soft without overcooking to prevent them from breaking. Cooking time may vary depending on the size of the potatoes.
Peel immediately while potatoes are still hot . . . .
. . . . and mash them on a work surface using a potato masher or a food mill.
Add 1 cup (150 gr) of the flour . . .
Draw the ingredients together with a fork . . .
At this point the dough will be sticky on your hands.
. . . and work the dough with your hands until the potato dough incorporates the flour.
. . . and kneading the dough, until the potato dough is no longer too sticky.
Cut the dough into four pieces. Sprinkle the work surface with a little flour, and place the first piece on it.
Then cut the sticks into pieces 3/4 inch (2 cm) long.
There are many techniques to indent the gnocchi and create a ridged surface.
Roll the pieces along the prongs of a common fork using one finger, in a way that the side of the piece running along the fork will be ruffled and the side you are pressing with your finger will be a little concave.
Roll the pieces along the special ridged tool sold in kitchen specialty stores.
Work constantly on a lightly floured surface. Transfer the gnocchi on a dry and clean cloth. Repeat these steps with the rest of the dough.
Fill a stockpot three quarters full with water, bring to a boil, and add salt. When the water is at a fast boil, drop the gnocchi in a few at a time to avoid damaging them. The gnocchi will fall to the bottom of the pot.
After about 1 – 2 minutes the gnocchi will come up to the surface, and this will be the sign that they are cooked. Don't drain gnocchi in a colander as you would do with pasta. Gnocchi are very soft and may be damaged. Instead remove them as soon as they float to the surface, with the help of a large slotted spoon or strainer, draining thoroughly.
Transfer the gnocchi to the skillet and....
Transfer to a serving dish, top with the grated parmigiano cheese. Serve hot at once.
GNOCCHI. The Italian word gnocco means “a stupid person.” This induced some food
writers to declare that gnocchi, the dish, is responsible for the association. But
gnocchi are anything but a stupid dish.
Small dumplings (Gnocchi) are one of the oldest preparations in the history of food,
recorded as far back as cookbooks of the thirteenth century. In a fragment of a book
of the 1300s there is a recipe for gnocchi written in the Tuscan dialectal language
.
In spite of the long description, gnocchi are very easy to prepare. Gnocchi can be
dressed with many sauces, but are especially good with pesto, Amatriciana sauce,
Ragu', four cheeses, butter and fresh tomato sauce, or very simply butter and sage
as in our presentation. The taste of the butter - sage dressing is very delicate
and will enhance the taste of the gnocchi. Gnocchi are also one very refined dishes,
worthy of the most sophisticated menus.
When the potatoes are still warm but cool enough to be handled, shape them in a mound with a well in the center.
. . . and mix to form a dough.
Sprinkle a little of the remaining flour on the dough. . .
Continue adding flour a little at a time . . .
The dough must be soft and fluffy: avoid incorporating too much flour.
Roll the dough into one or two long sticks approximately 3/4 inch (2 cm) in diameter.
Roll the pieces in your hands to give them a rounded oval shape.
Roll the pieces along the the surface of a cheese grater.
Or simply press the gnocchi with your thumb with a rolling motion to create a small concavity.
In a skillet large enough to contain the gnocchi, place the butter and sage leave. Turn heat to medium to melt the butter.
. . . and sauté briefly, stirring gently with a large spoon, until the gnocchi are fully covered by the butter.
Potato Gnocchi
Gnocchi di Patate
How to Make Easy Perfect Gnocchi
