Potato Gnocchi with Sage Butter
I’ve subscribed to Cook’s Illustrated for years because they have a knack for publishing recipes for things that I already know how to make, but with a slight tweak through their accidental discovery, trial and error in recipe testing and/or a nice dose of scientific analysis, that makes that recipe infinitely better. In this case, it’s establishing a clear ratio of potato to flour when making gnocchi.
The kitchen scale is a small but incredibly useful tool that has made all of my baked goods not only easier to make but actually consistent. This is the first time I’ve really found a practical application for it in savory cooking. I had been taught to “add enough” flour to make a dumpling dough for gnocchi, but this often ends up in more than one addition and incorporation due to the estimation inherent in this method, that can make the gnocchi tough from overworking it. Measuring it exactly by weight eliminates the guess factor and yields perfect gnocchi every time!
The ratio is 4 parts baked potato flesh to 1 part all purpose flour, though technically it’s 1 pound to 4 ounces to 1 egg to 1 teaspoon salt, though that’s harder to remember as a formula in my head. I guess that’s why I have a food blog, in case I ever forget these things. The dough rolled out so beautifully that making it was actually enjoyable instead of somewhat a chore. They cooked up perfectly as well. These were the best gnocchi I’ve ever made, hell, had. All because of a specific quantity of potato and flour. Amazing. This information should be passed along to Italian restaurants everywhere so that those dough balls that sit like rocks in their client’s stomachs can be no more.
Gnocchi kind of have the texture of a fluffy unfilled perogy, but fried gnocchi take on all the qualities of a nice plate of frites in a bite-sized morsel. They’re crisp on the outside, yet soft and fluffy in the middle. Hey, if you’re going to eat a plate of potatoes and refined flour for dinner, you might as well go all out and fry it to delicious perfection. Sage butter is a classic sauce for gnocchi, but it really needs the balance of acidity to cut through the starch, fat and herbiness. A nice squeeze of lemon just makes this so much better.
Gnocchi
- 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
- 1 egg
- 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack positioned in the center.
- Scrub the potatoes and dry them well. Prick their skins all over with a fork or knife, then place the whole potatoes directly on a baking sheet. Bake them until very tender, which will take up to an hour, depending on the size of the potatoes.
- Carefully peel the potatoes while they are still hot to allow for more moisture evaporation, then pass through a food mill or ricer back on to the baking sheet, spaced out to cool to room temperature.
- Beat the egg into the potatoes, then gently incorporate the flour and salt to make a cohesive mass. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it lightly for a minute to bring it all together into a ball.
- Separate the dough into four equal portions. Roll each portion into even 3/4″ “snakes”, working from the middle out toward the ends with both of your hands. Slice at 3/4″ intervals to make 3/4″ square dumplings. Roll each of these dumplings down the inverted twines of a fork to leave a small lined impression. Then, you have gnocchi!
Preparation
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon fresh sage, minced
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- salt to taste
- Parmesan cheese, as desired
- It is not necessary to pre-boil your gnocchi before pan-frying them, but it is preferable to me because the firm up a bit and mute the starchiness slightly, so bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Plunge the gnocchi into the water in small batches and boil until they float, about a minute or two, then drain them and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the boiled gnocchi in small batches, being careful of splash back from the oil if they are still somewhat moist, and allow to fry undisturbed until they form a golden brown crust, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and fry the other side as well, then transfer to a plate to keep warm. Repeat with remaining gnocchi.
- Once all the gnocchi are fried, clean out the skillet and add the butter over medium heat. Swirl the pan occasionally until the foaming of the butter subsides, then allow the butter to cook until there is a nutty fragrance and it has lightly browned. Remove from the heat, add the garlic and sage, stir for a minute, then add the gnocchi.
- Return the pan to the heat to warm through and coat the gnocchi with the butter sauce, then add the juice of half a lemon, season to taste with salt, and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese on warmed dishes as soon as possible with a wedge of lemon for each plate.
Very nice, can’t wait to give these a try!