Chef Johns Sweet Potato Gnocchi Food

CHEF JOHN'S POTATO GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Place potato in microwave and cook on high setting until cooked through, about 7 minutes depending on the size of the potato.
• Split potato and remove flesh. Push flesh through strainer using the back of a wooden spoon in order to achieve a granular texture. Add a pinch of salt and let cool for about 10 minutes. Pour in beaten egg and stir, using the tines of a fork and trying not to mash the potato. Add about 1/3 cup flour and continue gently stirring gently with the tines of a fork until mixture starts to come together. You may need another pinch or two of flour. Fold mixture with a spatula until dough forms a mass, adding flour as needed. Using your fingers, knead dough gently to form ball, about 10 seconds.
• Shape dough into a fat log shape on a floured surface. Cut into 4 pieces. Gently roll each piece using your fingertips to form the "snake" or a long rope of dough, starting from the center and rolling toward the end until dough is about 1/2 inch thick. Cut each rope of dough into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Roll each 1/2-inch piece quickly down the back of a fork's tines to form ridges.
• Heat sauce in a skillet while you cook the gnocchi.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Reduce heat so water continues to simmer. Add gnocchi to water. As soon as they float to the surface after half a minute or so, cook for an additional 14 seconds. Transfer cooked gnocchi with a slotted spoon to the pan with the sauce. Stir until coated.
• Serve topped with grated cheese.

CHEF JOHN'S SWEET POTATO GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Prick a sweet potato all over with a sharp knife and microwave until very soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Let sit until cool enough to handle.
• Cut potato in half and scoop flesh into a bowl. Mash or blend until smooth. Add ricotta cheese, egg, kosher salt, and cayenne; mix with a spoon until smooth and combined. Stir in flour until mixture comes together into a sticky ball of dough, adding more flour as needed.
• Transfer to a floured surface and knead gently, adding flour as needed, until no longer sticky. Divide into 8 portions. Roll into ropes about 1/2-inch thick, using flour as needed. Dust ropes with flour and cut with a bench scraper into 1/2-inch pieces. Transfer pieces onto a sheet pan and let dry on the pan for 15 to 20 minutes, or refrigerate until needed.
• While gnocchi dry, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until browned and crisp, 7 to 10 minutes. Add butter and cook until lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in rosemary. Reserve until needed.
• Stir gnocchi into the pot of boiling water and cook until they float to the top, 3 to 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked gnocchi to the sauce.
• Heat over medium to medium-high heat, coat with sauce, and season with salt. Turn off heat and stir in 1 tablespoon Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Transfer to a warm serving bowl and top with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano.

SWEET POTATO GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Using a fork, lightly prick holes all over the sweet potatoes. Set the sweet potatoes on a foil-lined roasting tray and bake until fork tender, 30 minutes.
• While still hot, cut the sweet potatoes in half and scoop the flesh into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the 1 cup Parmesan, olive oil, brown sugar, thyme, nutmeg, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Beat on medium speed until the ingredients come together. Increase the speed to high and mix until light and airy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Dump the sweet potato mixture onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead, adding small amounts of flour at a time, until the dough comes together and holds as a single mass. When done, the dough should be light and tender to the touch. Place in a floured bowl, cover and let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Divide the dough in half on a lightly floured work surface. Roll each half into a 3/4-inch-thick rope. With a sharp knife, cut the ropes into 1-inch "pillows."
• Bring a medium saucepot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook until they float, 2 to 3 minutes.
• While the gnocchi are cooking, set a large nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and melt until frothy and nutty-smelling. Drain the gnocchi, reserving some of the cooking water; add the gnocchi straight to the saute pan. Toss to brown lightly, then season with salt and pepper. Once browned, you can add a little of the pasta water to make a light sauce. Divide among serving plates and shower with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.

CHEF JOHN'S SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 2 1/2-quart baking dish with butter.
• Place sweet potato cubes into a large pot, cover with water, and add a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until a knife is easily inserted into a sweet potato cube, about 10 minutes. Drain well. Return to the pot and mash 2 tablespoons butter into sweet potatoes.
• Whisk eggs, maple syrup, buttermilk, milk, vanilla extract, cayenne pepper, allspice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually mash sweet potatoes into egg mixture, starting with 2 tablespoons of sweet potato mixture, until all sweet potatoes are incorporated. Transfer sweet potatoes into prepared baking dish.
• Mix pistachios, brown sugar, flour, and 1/4 cup melted butter together until completely mixed. Crumble topping evenly over top of sweet potatoes. Use the back of a fork to gently press pistachio mixture down onto sweet potatoes.
• Bake in the preheated oven until topping is browned and casserole is set, 25 to 30 minutes. If desired, place under oven's broiler for 5 minutes to give topping a little more brown color. Let rest to cool slightly before serving, about 10 minutes.

CHEF JOHN'S SWEET POTATO GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Prick a sweet potato all over with a sharp knife and microwave until very soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Let sit until cool enough to handle.
• Cut potato in half and scoop flesh into a bowl. Mash or blend until smooth. Add ricotta cheese, egg, kosher salt, and cayenne; mix with a spoon until smooth and combined. Stir in flour until mixture comes together into a sticky ball of dough, adding more flour as needed.
• Transfer to a floured surface and knead gently, adding flour as needed, until no longer sticky. Divide into 8 portions. Roll into ropes about 1/2-inch thick, using flour as needed. Dust ropes with flour and cut with a bench scraper into 1/2-inch pieces. Transfer pieces onto a sheet pan and let dry on the pan for 15 to 20 minutes, or refrigerate until needed.
• While gnocchi dry, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until browned and crisp, 7 to 10 minutes. Add butter and cook until lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in rosemary. Reserve until needed.
• Stir gnocchi into the pot of boiling water and cook until they float to the top, 3 to 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked gnocchi to the sauce.
• Heat over medium to medium-high heat, coat with sauce, and season with salt. Turn off heat and stir in 1 tablespoon Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Transfer to a warm serving bowl and top with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano.