Potato Gnocchi

Gnocchi is a very personal food. Depending on your taste, you may prefer a gnocchi with a slight ‘bite’, or you may prefer a softer, more pillow-like texture. 

This recipe aims to find a happy medium between the two. 

I once ran the kitchen of a quite reputable restaurant that was famous for its pillow soft gnocchi. As a wholesaler I have made variations of gnocchi that encompass all kinds of textures. 

Everyone has their own personal preference as to what texture they prefer, there is no right or wrong here. When making food, always make sure that the final product is to your taste and personal preference.

If you desire a chewer gnocchi, one with bite, add more flour, around 50% of the total weight of the cooked potato. 

If you prefer a softer gnocchi, reduce the flour content by 50-100g. 

Be aware that the starch content of your potatoes will heavily affect the final texture of the gnocchi. 

Always use large red skinned désirée potatoes, as the starchy, waxy texture makes them ideal for gnocchi. 

Making gnocchi, like most aspects of cooking, is a process. 

Time.

Temperature.

Patience. 

If you put the time into the process, you will reap great rewards.

Be aware of the temperature, working with the dough when it is too hot, it will not only be unpleasant, it may also cause you personal injury and will compromise the quality and texture of the final product. 

Patience. Put on your favorite album, podcast or playlist and relax and enjoy the process, cooking delicious food should never be a chore, time spent cooking good food is never time wasted.

Potato Gnocchi 

800g Desiree Potatoes

300g Tipo “00” Flour  

5g Xanthan Gum 

Salt 

White pepper

Method:

Add whole unpeeled potatoes to a large heavy based saucepan, cover with cold water, Bring to the boil. 

Cook until easily pierced, but not falling apart. About 20-25 minutes

Drain potatoes and peel while still hot, with a sharp paring knife.

Press the potatoes through a potato ricer, spread the potato out over a large surface area to allow the steam to escape. 

Season potatoes with salt and white pepper. 

Roughly chop the potatoes with a pastry scraper. Using a fine sieve evenly cover the potatoes with the flour and xanthan gum.

Bring the mix together, kneading gently to form a thick log. 

Cover with a breathable cloth ( a lose weave tea towel is perfect)  and allow to sit for 10 minutes

Cut the log into 1cm pieces. 

With lightly floured hands roll your dough pieces into smaller logs, about 1 cm in diameter. 

Be gentle, do not overwork the dough.

Using a floured knife cut the logs into 1.5cm pieces. 

Bring a pot of water to the boil, add the gnocchi. Once the gnocchi floats, leave it in the water for 30 seconds, drain well and add to sauce immediately.  

Enjoy!