Potato Gnocchi

The first time I ate potato gnocchi was during a trip to Liguria years ago – long before I became a professional chef. These gnocchi set a high standard in my mind. They were exceptionally light, tasted of potato and held enough sauce on each gnocchi to form a delicious tandem.

My next gnocchi experience in a restaurant was not as pleasant. These were dense, chewy and tasted of chalk. The sauce was heavy and fell from the gnocchi in clumps that splattered loudly on my plate. This was not a pleasing memory…and I hope I didn’t pay much for the failed gnocchi incident.

Fortunately, I learned the secrets of making delicious gnocchi during my stint as a professional cook in a Michelin-rated restaurant in the Italian region of Liguria:

1. The choice of potato is critical. It must be a starchy (mealy) variety that is right for baking. I select large potatoes because they are easier to peel, and I think a bit tastier.
2. Steaming the potatoes whole and in their jackets (skin) produces a fluffy puree that help create light gnocchi.
3. Cook the potatoes until their skins begin to crack and split open. Undercooking the potatoes creates a heavy and lumpy consistency.
4. Peel cooked potatoes while they are still hot – use a fork to hold the potatoes if they are too hot to hold onto.
5. Work fast and mash the potatoes while they are still warm. Allow the mashed potatoes to sit on a floured work surface to release a bit of steam, then begin working in your ingredients.
6. Work with light fingers and mix long enough to create a smooth texture when you form the dough into a log. Avoid mixing the potatoes and flour too long; prolonged mixing creates gluten and a chewy gnocchi when cooked.
7. Make a couple of test gnocchi and cook for about 2-3 minutes in a small pot of simmering salt water. If they hold together, then bingo – you’ve made a good round! But this rarely happens because flour is never the same. You may need to work in a bit more flour to keep them together, or starch if they are tasting too heavy. Finish making the gnocchi once you are satisfied, but don’t cook them right away. Relaxing the gnocchi will yield lighter gnocchi.

Simple, right? Making a light gnocchi is a challenge, but it is one I like because it gets you in direct contact with just a few ingredients and you can really feel what it’s like to cook rather than just putting something together. Good luck on your gnocchi adventure…

Difficulty: simple to moderate
Yield: this recipe makes about 4-8 servings.