Ali Cooks: Gnocchi!

I mentioned to a co-worker yesterday that I was making gnocchi for dinner.  He kind of went along with what I said and kept talking about my affinity to cooking/baking, how he doesn't cook much at all, etc.  And then...he asked me:  "What is gnocchi anyway?"

 

Ohhhh gnocchi.  And you know what's the best part about the gnocchi that I made?  No potatoes required!  No potatoes = even easier gnocchi, in my opinion.  It was a little stressful to make (fast-paced boiling process and then after refrigeration, the frying process can get interesting), but absolutely delicious.  You MUST love butter to eat this specific kind of gnocchi though.  Especially if you make the butter sauce.  Personally, I could do without the butter sauce because I added lots of herbs, so the flavor is bountiful enough, but I understand that some people just can't get enough of the buttery goodness!  (Note that the recipe requires A LOT of butter already though!)

 

This is (luckily) getting to be old news, but Brian enjoyed the gnocchi dinner, too!  I'm getting better and better at guessing what new meals he will enjoy, though it's bittersweet because he'll be moving off to Michigan in about a month.  Things are changing rapidly with him moving, and even with me moving across campus to a new residence hall apartment, but tis life.  I'll do my best to keep cooking, baking, and blogging through it all--just keep reading and supporting me along the way.

 

 

Gnocchi!

*adapted from urbancookery.com

 

Ingredients:

For Gnocchi:

3/4 cup Water

6 tbs Butter

2 tsp Salt (divided)

1 cup Flour

1 tbs Minced Chives (I used dried)

1 tbs Dried Dill

1 tbs Mustard

1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (I chose to do 1/4 cup parmesan & 1/4 cup of a parmesan blend)

3 Eggs

 

For Butter Sauce:

Salt & Pepper

8 tbs Butter (divided)

1+ tsp Dried Sage

2 tbs minced Chives (I used dried)

Lemon Juice (I used lime juice)

 

Instructions:

 

Have all ingredients ready because this is a fast process.  In a medium sauce pan, combine the water, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Bring to a simmer, then dump in all of the flour at once.  Stirring constantly over a medium heat, cook for about 3-5 minutes (adjusting the temperature as you cook so as not to burn the dough).

 

Once the mixture has come together, dump the entire mixture into a stand mixer or a large bowl with a hand mixer ready for use.  Start mixing on a low setting and add in the dill, chives, salt, and mustard.  Mix for about 20 seconds to help release some of the heat from the dough.  Add in the cheese and continue to mix.

 

Add one egg at a time, mixing on a medium speed.  Wait until each egg is incorporated in the dough before adding the next egg.  Once all the eggs are mixed in, turn off the mixer and let the dough rest in the bowl while you start on the next step.  (You may place the dough in a piping bag if that's handy, as well.)

 

Have two baking sheets ready - one with a cooling rack over the top.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Start to spoon small 1 inch long Gnocchi into the water, as close to the same size as possible.  Once the Gnocchi rise to the surface of the water, let them cook another 30 seconds (there will be a continuous process with batches of gnocchi rising to the surface as you place gnocchi dough freshly into the water).  Remove the floating gnocchi with a slotted spoon and place on the baking sheet with the cooling rack. Repeat this process until all of your gnocchi dough has been used up.

 

Allow the gnocchi to cool and then transfer them to the empty baking sheet.  Cover the tray and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before using in a sauce.  (I found it useful to actually cook the gnocchi the next day after refrigeration.)

 

When it is time to cook the gnocchi, add 3 tablespoons of butter to a saute pan and add in the gnocchi.  Feel free to portion out the gnocchi to cook in batches.  Cook, shaking the pan continuously so as to brown the outsides of the Gnocchi and prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan. 

 

Meanwhile, in a small saute pan, melt 5 tablespoons of butter and cook about 4 minutes, until it starts to brown.  To the gnocchi pan, add in the sage, salt, and pepper, and cook another minute.

 

Go back to the butter sauce and quickly add in the chives and then the lime juice (this will splatter so be careful and adjust the heat accordingly).  Once the lime juice is in, remove from heat.  Plate the gnocchi and spoon the butter sauce over the gnocchi.  Serve immediately.