Gnocchi All Sorrentina Food

GNOCCHI WITH PROSCIUTTO, SPRING PEAS, AND CHANTERELLES

Steps:

• Bring 2 pots, 1 large and 1 medium, with well-salted water to a boil over medium heat. Set up a bowl of well-salted ice water. Blanch the fresh peas in the medium pot of boiling water until they are cooked but still crunchy and then immediately plunge them into the salted ice water. Remove them from the ice water and reserve.
• Coat a large saute pan over medium heat with olive oil. Add the smashed garlic cloves and crushed red pepper. Bring the pan to a medium high heat. When the garlic has become golden brown and is very aromatic, remove it and discard. Add the prosciutto and saute until it starts to get crispy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and season with salt. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes, and TASTE to see if they are delicious (they should be!).
• Add the peas and chicken stock. Season with salt, TASTE IT (it should be more delicious). Simmer until the stock has reduced by about half.
• While the stock is reducing, add the gnocchi to the large pot of salted boiling water. Cook the gnocchi until they float and get very puffy. The gnocchi should be really puffy.
• While the gnocchi is in the boiling water, add the butter to the pan with the mushroom mixture. Cook over low heat and swirl to incorporate. TASTE and adjust seasoning if needed.
• When the gnocchi are cooked, carefully remove them from the cooking water and add them to the pan with the mushrooms. Toss or stir to combine. Cook the gnocchi with mushroom mixture until it clings to the gnocchi. Add the grated Parmigiano and the chopped chives. Transfer to serving bowls and serve immediately.
• Call yourself a superstar!
• Preheat the oven to 375 or 400 degrees F.
• Bake the potatoes until they are fork tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check them!
• While the potatoes are still hot peel and pass them through a food mill or ricer. (I find that the food mill works just as well as a ricer and is much easier to handle) onto a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. When doing this pay careful attention to keep the potatoes as light and fluffy as possible. This will aid in keeping the gnocchi light. Refrigerate the potatoes on the sheet tray until cold. This is also a very important step. If the potatoes are warm while adding flour they will require more flour which will result in a much heavier finished product.
• When the potatoes are absolutely cold, transfer to a clean work surface. Beat together the eggs and cheese and pour onto the potatoes. Season with salt. Cover generously with flour. It should look like snow on the mountains.
• Crumble the potato flour mixture between your fingers. Begin to knead the dough until it is a dry homogeneous mixture. The dough should feel slightly moist, but not tacky. If too tacky, repeat the snow on the mountains stage.
• Form the dough into a large log. Cut slices off the log and begin to roll into long ropes that are about 1-inch in thickness. Cut the ropes into 1/2-inch lengths. Cover generously with flour. Place the gnocchi in a single layer on a sheet tray dusted with flour. DO NOT PILE ON TOP OF EACH OTHER!!
• Use or freeze the gnocchi immediately. If freezing, place tray directly into the freezer. Once frozen, the gnocchi can be stored in plastic bags, in the freezer, indefinitely. When cooking gnocchi they can go directly from the freezer into salted boiling water.
• Note: It is a general practice to take gnocchi out of the water when they float. This is a big mistake. Gnocchi need to be cooked in boiling water until they float and get nice and puffy. Not cooking gnocchi long enough will also result in heavy gnocchi.
• P.S. These are Chef Anne "Secrets" to great gnocchi, use them and you will be successful every time.

POTATO GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Add the potatoes to a large pot, cover with cold water by about 2 inches and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook at a steady boil, adding more water to the pot if necessary, until the potatoes can be pierced easily with the tip of a knife, about 50 minutes. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle.
• Peel the potatoes and cut the flesh into large pieces. Pass the potato flesh through a potato ricer (see Cook's Note) into a mound on a clean work surface and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Let the potatoes cool completely.
• Sprinkle the flour over the mound of potatoes. Drizzle the egg over the flour and begin to combine with a fork. Once everything has started to clump together, use your hands to gently knead and fully combine the ingredients, about 2 minutes; do not overwork the dough. Gather the dough into a ball.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment. Cut the dough into 4 pieces. Working with one piece at a time on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 3/4-inch-thick log. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut the log into 1-inch pieces. Roll each piece on a gnocchi paddle or the back of the tines of a fork to form grooves. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook until they begin to float, 1 to 2 minutes, then cook 1 minute longer. Strain and toss with sauce as desired.

SHEET PAN GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Place the gnocchi, asparagus, red onion and bell peppers on the prepared sheet pan. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix the olive oil and pesto in a small pitcher. Drizzle over the pan and toss to coat.
• Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and toss. Sprinkle over the tomatoes. Return to the oven until the gnocchi have begun to brown and crisp, an additional 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle on the Parmesan shavings. Drizzle with the balsamic glaze and sprinkle over the basil leaves to serve.

GNOCCHI ALLA ROMANA

Steps:

• Lightly oil a small baking sheet. Whisk the stock, semolina flour, and salt in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat until the mixture bubbles and is very thick, about 10 minutes. Beat the egg in a large bowl. Gradually beat the semolina mixture into the egg.
• Transfer the gnocchi mixture to the prepared baking sheet, spreading it to form a 1/2-inch-thick layer. Cover and refrigerate until the gnocchi mixture is cold and firm, at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the broiler. Generously butter a 10-inch-diameter gratin dish. Using a 2-inch-diameter cookie cutter, cut out rounds from the gnocchi mixture. Arrange the gnocchi in the prepared baking/gratin dish, overlapping slightly. Brush the remaining butter over the gnocchi. Sprinkle with the cheese, and pepper, if desired. Broil until the gnocchi are heated through and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes.

GNOCCHI WITH BROWN BUTTER AND SAGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pour a mound of kosher salt onto a rimmed baking sheet. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork and nestle them in the salt; this prevents the potatoes from browning and draws out their moisture. Bake the potatoes until fork-tender, about 45 minutes. Let sit until just cool enough to handle.
• Halve the potatoes lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a potato ricer; discard the skin. Press the flesh through the ricer onto a floured counter or cutting board; let cool 3 to 4 minutes.
• Spread out the potatoes slightly. Beat the egg with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl and drizzle over the potatoes.
• Sprinkle the potato mixture with 1 cup flour and knead until a smooth dough forms, adding up to 1/2 cup more flour if the dough is sticky. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest 10 minutes.
• Lightly flour your surface. Divide the dough into 6 pieces and roll into "snakes," about 1/2 inch in diameter. Cut into 1/2-to-1-inch lengths with a bench cutter or knife; transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and lightly dust with flour.
• Make the sauce: Melt the butter in a large skillet over high heat. Cook, stirring, until the butter develops brown flecks and smells nutty. Watch it closely to keep the butter solids from burning. Remove from the heat.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi; wait until they float to the surface, then simmer 30 more seconds. (Taste one to make sure it's cooked through.) Return the brown butter to medium-low heat. Scoop the gnocchi from the pot with a spider or slotted spoon, transfer to the skillet and toss until some of the brown-butter flecks stick to the gnocchi. Add the red pepper flakes, sage and a few tablespoons of the gnocchi cooking water; toss again. Remove from the heat and add half of the cheese. Divide among bowls and top with the remaining cheese.

POTATO GNOCCHI

Steps:

• 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.