Old Fashioned Potato Gnocchi Recipes

Steps:

• Beat the egg yolks and then combine with the mashed potatoes, mix well.
• Add nutmeg, salt, pepper& apprx 1/2 cup flour.
• Knead to gether and add remainder of flour (hold back a bit you can add it later) Knead until you have a slightly sticky consistency if too sticky add remainder flour.
• Lightly dust your work surface with flour.
• Form the dough into sausage like rolls about 3/4" thick, cut into 1" pieces Use a fork to flatten the gnocchi leaving an imprint from the tines.
• Keep the fork rinsed clean so it doesn't stick.
• Meanwhile fill a 3 quart pot with water and bring to a boil.
• Drop about 18 gnocchis in at a time, they will sink to the bottom and when cooked float to the top When they are floating remove with a slotted sppon, sprinkle with a little olive oil, keep warm When ready to serve sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Steps:

• In a large pot, bring potatoes to a boil in salted water; reduce to a rapid simmer and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, 35 to 40 minutes. Lightly dust two parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets with flour; set aside. Drain potatoes and peel while still hot with a paring knife (use a thick, dry kitchen towel or pot holder to hold them). Immediately pass potatoes through a ricer onto a work surface. Let cool completely.
• Sprinkle potatoes with flour and 2 teaspoons salt, then top with egg. With your hands, work flour and egg into a dough.
• Knead dough until smooth but not elastic, dusting with flour if it becomes too sticky, 4 minutes. Do not overwork dough.
• Divide dough into 8 portions. Roll each portion into a rope (1/2 inch thick and 24 inches long). Cut each rope into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Gently roll each dough piece against the back tines of a fork to make ridges, then arrange in a single layer on prepared baking sheets.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In batches, add a few handfuls gnocchi and cook until most have floated to top, 2 minutes. With a wire-mesh spider or a slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi immediately to a sauce.

Steps:

• Cook the potatoes and lower them whole in their skins into a pan of salted boiling water, bring back to the boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes until just soft. Test with a sharp knife - you should have to push the knife in, it should not slide in easily, otherwise the potatoes will be overcooked and mushy and will have absorbed too much water. Peel them quickly, as the cooler they get, the less fluffy they become.Hold them in a tea towel to peel as they are hot.
• Using a mouli on a medium setting, press the potatoes into a bowl. Pass the potato through the mouli a second time, letting it fall on to the work surface. This second pressing is to make sure that the mixture is lump free, and also lets more air in. If you don't have a mouli, you could use a potato ricer, but only if it has small holes, and you may need to push the potatoes through three times to get the right texture.
• Make a hollow in your pile of potatoes, then pour in the egg and sprinkle over some of the flour. Start to blend everything with your hands, adding more flour but as little as you can get away with (you want the flavour of the potato to come through, rather than that of the flour).Work carefully and quickly, as the more you handle the dough, the harder and bouncier it will become. You need the same lightness you would use for pastry.
• You should now have a soft dough that holds together, doesn't feel sticky and can be easily shaped. Before you progress, check the dough by cooking a few gnocchi to see how they perform (see Valentina's tip, right).
• Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll a piece at a time into long, thumb-nail thick cylinders on a lightly floured surface, again working lightly and quickly. As you roll you will also be gently stretching the dough. Keep the surface well floured as you don't want the gnocchi to stick.
• Cut the dough into thumb-nail long lengths. Some people don't bother to shape and pattern them, but just cook them as they are. However, the shaping and patterning gives a hollow on one side and a pattern on the other that enables the sauce to cling better, and also makes each piece recognisable as a gnocco (a single gnocchi).
• Roll the gnocchi in a little flour. Holding them very lightly, form each into a small concave gnocchi shape: hold them against the prongs of the back of a fork, pressing only firmly enough to get the imprint (not so firmly that they go through the prongs), then guide each one so it tumbles away from the fork. Use your thumb as a guide and your fingers to pick and curl the gnocchi up. Spread them on a large board until required.
• Bring a large, deep pot of salted water to the boil. Working with a few at a time (don't cook more than you can cope with at once, see tip, right), drop in the gnocchi and listen for the wonderful kissing noise they make as they go in. Let them cook for 2 minutes, during which time they will bob back up to the surface, then scoop them out with a slotted spoon. Taste - they should be sofficí e leggeri (soft and light), the gnocchi equivalent of al dente.
• For the tomato sauce, deseed and finely chop the tomatoes. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a frying pan. Rub about 30 sage leaves in your hand to release the flavour, then fry for a few seconds until they darken slightly. Lift out and drain on paper towel. For each person put 20 gnocchi in a bowl and scatter over the tomatoes and sage. Drizzle over a little melted butter, then finish with a grating of black pepper and a sprinkling of finely grated parmesan.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Peel the potatoes and chop into equal-sized chunks. Lay a large sheet of kitchen foil on your work surface, pile the potatoes into the middle and arrange the bay leaves on top, if using. Fold the foil over the potatoes, then fold the edges in to seal and create a parcel. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 1 hr-1 hr 15 mins until the potatoes are tender. Or, tip into a heatproof bowl, cover (do not use foil) and cook in the microwave for 10 mins on high. If still firm, microwave in 5-min bursts until tender. While the potatoes are still hot, pass them through a ricer or push through a sieve onto a tray and cool completely. Will keep chilled for up to two days before using.
• Scatter the flour, 10g of cheese, ½ tsp salt and a grating of nutmeg over the potatoes on the tray, then gently tip the egg yolks on top. Gently bring everything together with your hands until you have a uniform dough that resembles crumbly pastry. Knead for about a minute until it just comes together, but don't overwork it. Divide the dough into four pieces and roll each one out into a long, finger-thick sausage on a lightly floured surface. Cut each sausage into 1.5-2cm nuggets. The gnocchi can now be cooked, or you can create ridges on them by rolling them over the back of a fork, grater or sushi mat. Arrange the gnocchi in a single layer on the tray. Will keep frozen for up to three months. First, freeze on the tray until solid, then portion into food bags.
• Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil. If cooking all the gnocchi at once, you'll need to do this in three batches, cooking each batch for 2 mins, or until they rise to the surface. (You can also cook them for 3-5 mins from frozen.) Remove to a colander using a slotted spoon. Reserve 150ml of the cooking water, discarding the rest. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat with about ½ tsp cracked black pepper and sizzle until the butter turns a nutty brown. Toss through the gnocchi, remaining cheese and about half of the reserved cooking water, then turn up the heat slightly and toss until the gnocchi is well-coated in a thick, cheesy sauce. You may need to add a little more of the cooking water to loosen. Serve the gnocchi straightaway in warm bowls.

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain and mash. , Place 2 cups mashed potatoes in a large bowl (save any remaining mashed potatoes for another use). Stir in egg and 1 teaspoon salt. Gradually beat in flour until blended (dough will be firm and elastic)., Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 15 times. Roll into 1/2-in.-wide ropes. Cut ropes into 1-in. pieces. Press down with a lightly floured fork., In a Dutch oven, bring water and remaining salt to a boil. Add gnocchi in small batches; cook for 8-10 minutes or until gnocchi float to the top and are cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon. Serve immediately with spaghetti sauce. Top with desired toppings.