Drop a decent-sized potato on your foot, and you’re probably going to bruise a toe or two. But with a little boiling water, some flour and eggs, you can transform these dense little boulders into the most amazingly soft, tender, light and fluffy pillows of gnocchi. Tossed with butter Parmesan cheese and herbs, or in pan drippings from chicken or beef, and they seem to absorb flavor almost magically.
This isn’t exactly a throw-together meal, but your efforts will be rewarded.
If you share them, that is.
There is only one trick to making gnocchi: be gentle. Everything is done so very gently. Use your fingertips for everything; pretend you’re playing with a baby, or soap bubbles, or egg whites, or nitroglycerin. Don’t rush things along, and you’ll be rewarded with pillowy, silky gnocchi.
Boil the Potatoes
Boil 1 kg of potatoes, skins on, for 30-40 minutes until fork tender.
Peel the Potatoes
Cool the potatoes. Using a paring knife, slip the skins off the potatoes
Mash the Potatoes
Using a ricer, sieve, strainer or colander, mash the potatoes so there are no lumps.
Make the Dough
Place the mashed potato onto a clean surface. Sprinkle the potatoes with 300 grams of flour and salt. Make a well and pour one lightly beaten egg into the center. With your fingertips. gently gather up the potato and flour up over the egg and work it into a soft dough.
The Finished Dough
When the flour, potato, egg and salt are incorporated, it will make a soft dough.
I love gnocchi, and one thing I found to slightly hasten the process, is cooking the potatoes in the microwave, and another trick I do is, since I don't have a potato ricer, I smoosh the cooked potatoes thru a fine mesh strainer.
Most recipes call for a ricer, and most people don't have them. The strainer I used (pictured) was a bit of a pain, but effective. I happened to make them fleishig for the article, but I have a much sturdier metal one for pareve.
I don't mind microwaves, but if you pluck the potatoes out of the boiling water instead of dumping the pot, you have a pot of already boiling water waiting for you.
true, good point