The first time I ever had gnocci was about 8 years ago when a friend of my mom's brought over luscious homemade gnocci that was just swimming in butter. Her friend was from Pennsylvania, and supposedly, that dish was a tradition on the east coast. And it was good! Ever since, I have had a deep love for gnocci. In culinary school, I learned how to make it perfectly, so it would be soft, but firm, not too dense or chewy. This dumpling goes great with just about any kind of sauce whether it be pesto or traditional tomato sauce. Usually, gnocci is made with white, flaky potatoes (such as russets), but being the health nut I am, I like using sweet potatoes because they are more nutritious. Plus, their sweet taste goes really well with spices, like the curry sauce below.
Gnocci is one of my favorite things to make, but I have to admit that it is also very time consuming. It requires boiling, straining, kneading, rolling, cutting, re-boiling, then frying (though frying is optional)! If you're organized about it, the whole process takes about an hour...but it's worth it. It is a lot like making bread; you take a long time to prepare it, but the end product justifies all the time and effort spent. Gnocci takes the same amount of love and gentle nudging to come out right. It might take a few tries to get it perfectly, but I have learned some things that will help you on your way:
1. Use normal white wheat flour...don't try to substitute in this recipe (sorry gluten-free-ers). Other flours don't contain the gluten needed to hold the dough together. Also, whole wheat flour is much too dense...it will make for some hard, chewy gnocchi.
2. There is no need to knead! The best way to make sure your gnocchi is pillow-y soft, is to add the flour in gently and not to knead it at all. My dough was still relatively sticky, but still pliable. A lot like play-dough.
3. Don't boil it too long. As soon as the gnocci floats, it is cooked through. Boiling it too long will also make it tough.
4. Frying is delicious...when you get it right. If your gnocchi is still wet from boiling, and you throw it is hot oil, all it is going to do is stick to the bottom of the pan. Make sure to let the gnocchi dry completely before frying. Ideally, frying the gnocchi will make it golden and crispy on the outside, while staying soft and moist on the inside.
Also, on a side note, this gnocchi recipe is the basis for any kind of gnocci you want to make. Just replace "sweet potatoes" with white potatoes, or even butternut squash.
Sweet Potato Gnocchi
2 medium sweet potatoes or yams
1 egg
salt to taste (about 2-3 tsp)
white flour, as needed (have several cups on hand!)
coconut oil for frying, if desired
1. Wash and peel the sweet potatoes, and cut into a large dice. Put them a pot, cover with water, and set to boil for about 20 minutes, or until soft. I always judge this by using a butter knife to slice through them. If it slices through easily, they are ready to go!
2. Drain sweet potatoes into a mesh colander, and let cool for a few minutes. Use the back of a spoon to push the sweet potato through the mesh. This will get out any lumps out of the sweet potato and make for a smooth dough.
NOTE: You can also use a ricer for this (see here), but I've never known a home cook that has one. A mesh colander...or any thing with small holes works just fine.
NOTE #2: You can skip the colander step if you don't own one. Just mash the sweet potato into a paste with the back of a spoon and remove any lumps or bits of skin left behind.
3. Taste your sweet potato and season with salt. Add a little more than you think you need because the egg and flour will make the dough bland without enough salt. I recommend at least 2-3 tsp.
4. Add the egg to the sweet potato and mix well.
5. Start adding flour to the sweet potato mix, until you have a soft, but not overly sticky dough. Do not knead this dough too much! You will come out with tough little nuggets, instead of pillows! Gently add flour a little at a time until the dough comes together. I used approximately 2 cups of flour.
6. Take a portion of the dough and roll it into a medium-sized log. Use a butter knife to cut the log into little pillows. Place pillows on a lightly floured pan. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
7. Using the same pan you boiled the potatoes in, heat a full pot of salted water to boiling. Add in the gnocchi in small batches. When they start to float, they are cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to remove them, and place them on a flat pan or dish to let dry.
NOTE: At this point in the recipe, the gnocchi are good to eat! They will be soft little dumplings that you can serve with the coconut curry sauce. Or, if you want a bit more texture, you can also fry these up! See below.
8. Serve hot with sauce OR heat a large skillet with enough coconut oil to coat the bottom on medium high heat. Add dried gnocchi to the pan and fry until both sides are golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot and enjoy!
T.E.A's Coconut Peanut Curry Sauce
This sauce, as my husband said, is "legit". I guess this is a short way of saying that it tastes exactly how you want it to taste: creamy, peanut-y, spicy, yummy, another "y" adjective....anyway...it's good. I know I make a lot of curry sauces, but this one is even easier! And it isn't hot spicy like my other ones. It is cool and creamy and I want to put it on everything!
1 cup onion, small dice
2 jalapenos, large dice
4 cloves garlic
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, washed and trimmed of any dirty spots
1 1/2 cups whole coconut milk (more or less depending on the consistency you want)
1/2-1 cup peanut butter (more or less depending on how peanut-y you like it)
salt to taste (about 2-3 tsp)
honey to taste (about 1-2 TB)
coconut oil for sauteing
1. In a food processor, add jalapenos, garlic, and ginger. Puree, adding a little water as needed, into a fine paste. Set aside.
2. In a medium skillet, heat about 1-2 TB coconut oil on medium high heat. Add onions, and saute until they are soft and opaque. It is ok if they brown a little...this will give it more flavor.
3. Add chili/garlic/ginger paste to onions and saute for 2-3 mins or until fragrant. Take off the heat and set aside.
4. In a blender (or food processor, but a blender will achieve a finer pureed sauce), add peanut butter, onion mixture, and enough coconut milk to cover the ingredients. Puree into a smooth sauce adding more coconut milk as needed, depending on how thick you like your sauce.
5. Taste and season with salt and honey. This is a savory sauce, however, the honey enhances the sweet notes of the coconut milk.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature over gnocchi. Or this sauce would be good on lots of things...like baked chicken or rice and veggies!
NOTE: You can reheat this sauce, but don't boil it! The coconut milk will separate. It is best to warm it gently on the stove on low heat, or for a few seconds in the microwave. Or try it cold! :)
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