Recipes : Potato Gnocchi : Food Network

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Potato Gnocchi
Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello

Ingredients
Kosher salt
1 pound russet potatoes
3 to 4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon gray salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting board and dough

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Spread a layer of kosher salt on a baking sheet and arrange the potatoes on top
(see Cook's Note). Bake until a bit overcooked, about 45 minutes. Let sit until
cool enough to handle, cut in half, and scoop out the flesh. Reserve the potato
skins, if desired, for another use.

Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer or grate them on the large holes of a box
grater. You should have about 2 cups. Make a mound of potatoes on the counter with
a well in the middle, add 3 of the egg yolks, the cheese, nutmeg, salt, and
pepper. Mix in the potatoes and mix well with hands. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the flour
over the potatoes and, using your knuckles, press it into the potatoes. Fold the
mass over on itself and press down again. Sprinkle on more flour, little by
little, folding and pressing the dough until it just holds together, (try not to
knead it.) Work any dough clinging to your fingers back into the dough. If the

mixture is too dry, add another egg yolk or a little water. The dough should give
under slight pressure. It will feel firm but yielding. To test if the dough is the
correct consistency, take a piece and roll it with your hands on a well-floured
board into a rope 1/2-inch in diameter. If the dough holds together, it is ready.
If not, add more flour, fold and press the dough several more times, and test
again.

Keeping your work surface and the dough lightly floured, cut the dough into 4
pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 1/2-inch in diameter. Cut into
1/2-inch-long pieces. Lightly flour the gnocchi as you cut them. You can cook
these as is or form them into the classic gnocchi shape with a gnocchi board,
ridged butter paddle, or the tines of a large fork turned upside down. Rest the
bottom edge of the gnocchi board on the work surface, then tilt it at about a 45
degree angle. Take each piece and squish it lightly with your thumb against the

board while simultaneously pushing it away from you. It will roll away and around
your thumb, taking on a cupped shape -- with ridges on the outer curve from the
board and a smooth surface on the inner curve where your thumb was. (Shaping them
takes some time and dexterity. You might make a batch just for practice.) The
indentation holds the sauce and helps gnocchi cook faster.

As you shape the gnocchi, dust them lightly with flour and scatter them on baking
sheets lined with parchment paper or waxed paper. Set gnocchi filled cookie sheet
in front of a fan on low for 1/2 hour (turning gnocchi after 15 minutes). If you
will not cook the gnocchi until the next day or later, freeze them. Alternatively,
you can poach them now, drain and toss with a little olive oil, let cool, then
refrigerate several hours or overnight. To reheat, dip in hot water for 10 to 15
seconds, then toss with browned butter until hot.

When ready to cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Drop in the
gnocchi and cook for about 90 seconds from the time they rise to the surface.
Remove the cooked gnocchi with a skimmer, shake off the excess water, and serve as
desired.

Directions
Cook's Note: Baking potatoes on a layer of salt allows
heat to circulate 360 degrees. Scrape the salt into a jar and reuse it again and
again. If you do not have time to shape the gnocchi, you can freeze the dough,
defrost it in the refrigerator, and then shape it. To freeze shaped gnocchi, line
baking sheets with waxed paper and dust with flour. Spread the gnocchi on the
prepared sheets and freeze until hard. Remove to individual-portion-size freezer
bags. Store in the freezer for up to 1 month. To cook, drop the frozen gnocchi
into boiling salted water. Cook for about 2 minutes after they rise to the

surface.