Monday, July 7, 2014

Five Tips For Making Delicious Gnocchi

By: The Food Hunter

I'm by no means a novice when it comes to making gnocchi but a little advice from a pro never hurts. So here's the quick and dirty of what I learned watching Chef John Collura, of Cibo eVino, make gnocchi at his house.


1. Use Russet potatoes. They have the proper starch needed to give gnocchi their light pillowy texture.

2. Bake don't boil the potatoes, this will keep them dry so that the finished product melt in your mouth.

3. Peel the potatoes when they are still hot and use a ricer to aerate the flesh.

4. Mix with as little flour as possible to form a firm but moist dough and be sure to not overwork the dough.

5. Create ridges in the gnocchi either with a ridger or the back of a fork to help the sauce evenly coat the dumplings.



Gnocchi
(courtesy of Chef John Collura)
1 lb potato
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp salt

Bake the whole potatoes until they are soft. While still warm, peel and pass through ricer onto a clean surface.

Set 6 quarts of water to boil in a large spaghetti pot.

Make well in center of potatoes and sprinkle all over with flour, using just enough flour to make them firm but moist. Place egg and salt in center of well and using your hands, stir into flour and potatoes, just like making normal pasta. Once egg is mixed in, bring dough together, kneading gently until a ball is formed. Knead gently another 4 minutes until ball is dry to touch.

Roll baseball-sized ball of dough into 3/4-inch diameter dowels and cut dowels into 1-inch long pieces. Flick pieces off of fork or gnocchi ridger.

Drop into boiling water and cook until they float (about 1 minute). As gnocchi float to top of boiling water, remove them.

Top with your favorite sauce and enjoy!

20 comments:

  1. I've never made homemade Gnocchi so thank you for the tips! What a great video.

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  2. It's been awhile since I've made gnocchi but I sure love the stuff!

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  3. I also have never made gnocchi at home! Who knew the ingredients were so simple? I love the video! Thank you for posting this!

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  4. These are such great tips! I've never made gnocchi!

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  5. I've only made homemade gnocchi once and was amazed at how easy it was. Need to try it again! Thanks for the tips!

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  6. great tips must try making it again last time i think we over kneaded it

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  7. Gnocchi is one of my absolute favorites but I rarely make it at home. I definitely need to try it again!

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  8. I used to make gnocchi with my grandmother but never was able to master it on my own. Love the tips!

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  9. I WILL make homemade gnocchi one of these days. Bookmarking this for the day I dare!

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  10. All great tips! Makes me want to make up a batch now!

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  11. I've never made gnocchi, but this video makes me want to make them NOW :)

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  12. What an awesome recipe! Back in Slovakia (where I come from) we eat a lot of gnocchi, so I will definitely share this recipe with my mum, so she can make a batch next time I come and visit :)

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  13. These are such great tips, especially baking the potatoes! Gnocchi is on my food bucket list. I need to stop being such a chickens*** and just make them!

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  14. I need to get a ricer. I made gnocci in Italy. YUM! I like the tips. Better than rolling them off of a fork I guess... though I bet pressure on the surface makes all the difference.

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  15. I have never ever made gnocchi, thanks for this post with all the tips!

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  16. I really need to give homemade gnocchi a try!

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  17. Great homemade gnocchi have eluded me, so I really appreciate the tips! I will conquer this!

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