Potato gnocchi are a basic preparation of Italian cuisine: seasoned with a tomato sauce, baked in the oven with cheese or flavored with butter and sage, gnocchi are always good! Preparing them is really simple: potatoes, flour, a little manual skill and you're done. To have perfect gnocchi, however, we must be careful not to make any mistakes.
Flour: how much?
Potato gnocchi need flour and potatoes: but what is the right proportion? If you overdo it with flour, your gnocchi will be too hard, if you put too little they will break during cooking. The rule says that the flour must be at most a third of the amount of potatoes.
Flour: when?
As in all recipes, also in the case of gnocchi, the timing is important: before adding the flour to the potatoes, make sure that they are not hot but warm. When the potatoes are hot, in fact they absorb the flour more easily and this factor could deceive you making you exaggerate with the quantities.
What potatoes to use?
To prepare good and well-cooked gnocchi, use white-fleshed potatoes which must be old: they are the most floury and with a greater quantity of starch and these elements make them the best for this preparation.
Cook the potatoes
The potatoes must be boiled before adding them to the flour, also in this case the recipe has its tips: dip the potatoes in cold water and put them on the stove, start counting time only when the water has started to boil. Your potatoes will have to boil for 25/30 minutes but to be really safe use a knife: if it crosses the potatoes from side to side then they are ready!
The peel
The potatoes will have to boil in their skins: do not peel them first. In this way they will absorb less water and your gnocchi will keep cooking better.
Knead yes, but how much?
Be careful not to overwork your dough thus running the risk that the gluten present in the flour will activate and your gnocchi will not cook well.
Eggs? No thanks.
Egg is a very thickening ingredient and often used in preparations, in this case however it is not necessary to add it to the other ingredients, if the proportions between flour and potatoes are right, the dough will already be sufficiently compact and soft at the same time.
When do I cook them?
To prepare perfect gnocchi, the tip is to cook them freshly prepared without letting too much time pass, otherwise the advice is to place them on a well floured and spaced wooden surface, covered with a cotton cloth.
Let’s always do a test
To be really sure that your gnocchi cook well without breaking into the water, first try a couple of gnocchi. If they keep cooking then your dough is perfect, if instead they break then add some flour to the dough.
Careful with the pan
To prevent the gnocchi from breaking when you add them to the sauce in a pan, turn them over a low heat and slowly with a wooden spoon, in this way they will absorb the flavor without breaking or sticking together.
Don't overwork the dough: When making gnocchi dough, it's important not to overwork it. Overworking the dough can make the gnocchi tough and chewy. Mix the ingredients together just until the dough comes together, and then stop mixing! You're not kneading bread here.
Don't overwork the dough: When making gnocchi dough, it's important not to overwork it. Overworking the dough can make the gnocchi tough and chewy. Mix the ingredients together just until the dough comes together, and then stop mixing! You're not kneading bread here.
If you overdo it with flour, your gnocchi will be too hard, if you put too little they will break during cooking. The rule says that the flour must be at most a third of the amount of potatoes.
Your gnocchi may be mushy because of any or all of the following reasons: boiled the potatoes instead of baked them. used waxy new potatoes with too much moisture in them. not used eggs to help texture.
So instead of boiling or baking a package of gnocchi on a Wednesday night and wishing it tasted more like the pillowy homemade version, I broil it. Yep, that's right: I rip open one of those shelf-stable packages, toss the gnocchi with a tablespoon of olive oil, a lot of grated Parmesan cheese and a little bit of salt.
Over-kneading the gnocchi dough results in a gummy texture instead of light, fluffy dumplings. You will know your gnocchi dumplings are ready when the ball feels soft to the touch but still holds your finger imprint. Keller isn't the only chef who advocates using baked potatoes.
Gently bring the dough together to form a cohesive ball. You do not need to “work” the dough (this is not pasta or bread dough). The texture should feel warm, light, fluffy and smooth, like a giant mashed potato ball. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
Poach gnocchi in batches in a pan of lightly salted water for 2-4 minutes. Cooked gnocchi will float to the top. Strain and serve immediately with a good pasta sauce. See our how to make gnocchi guide for more information.
Right after making your dough, cut off a small, bite-size piece of gnocchi, roll it over a gnocchi board if you wish, and boil it until tender. If it stays together, it's good to go! If it disintegrates, you need more flour.
After baking the potatoes, peel and rice them (or use a potato masher on them) when they're just cool enough to handle. Then let them release steam and fully cool before making the gnocchi dough. Prepare the gnocchi dough by mixing the egg yolks, salt, and flour with the cooled riced potatoes.
Unlike potato gnocchi, Roman gnocchi (Gnocchi alla romana), are made with semolina instead of potatoes and flour, that's why they are also called Semolina gnocchi. Roman gnocchi are shaped differently than potato gnocchi.
If the dough is too soft and floury, do not add more flour. More flour will transform your gnocchi dough into a cement brick! Instead, transfer your dough back onto the pastry board and continue to work the dough patiently until it dries out a little bit more.
For gnocchi with a fluffy texture, don't knead the dough past the point where the flour is fully incorporated into the potatoes. Think large lemon size when you tear off a piece of dough to roll out.
Step two: Bake the potatoes, don't boil them. Water is the enemy of good gnocchi dough. I cook my potatoes by piercing each of them several times with a fork then baking them on a bed of coarse salt to draw out excess moisture as they cook.
Don't overcook. If your gnocchi cook for too long, they can absorb too much water and become dense and chewy. Gnocchi cooking's best in a large pot with plenty of salted water. Gnocchi are dipped into boiling water after being slightly shaken with the flour.
Bring a large pot water to a boil; add 1 tablespoon salt.Add half of the gnocchi; when they rise to the top (after about 2 minutes), continue to cook until tender, about 15 seconds more.
Egg yolk added to your gnocchi dough helps improve texture, and keep it together while cooking. Gnocchi is traditionally made with eggs in Veneto and no eggs in Piedmont, the two Northern Italian regions famous for gnocchi. We vote for egg yolks at the rate of 1 per (500g) 1 lb of uncooked potatoes used.
Introduction: My name is Greg Kuvalis, I am a witty, spotless, beautiful, charming, delightful, thankful, beautiful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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