HOMEMADE GNOCCHI WITH TRUFFLE OIL
This is an all day idea, labor intensive and a little messy. It’s a ton of fun to do as a couple or family activity but it takes patience and attention to detail to pull this dish off just right. You can, of course, make the gnocchi as described below and use a different sauce if you wish. We like this sauce because it tastes decadent, but made as described is actually very healthy and light, allowing the Gnocchi to be the star.
Most people make their sauce with cream and/or butter which certainly makes it more decadent, but also makes it heavy and fattening. Don’t be fooled by this dish. In the end, this is a very subtle dish that allows the gnocchi and truffle oil to be the only real stars and flavors. I add mushrooms to the sauce to add texture and flavor, but you can eliminate them if you are a shroom-hater
You will need a vegetable mill (also called a food mill) and inexpensive hand cranking kitchen tool that most people don’t own, but is a necessity for this dish.
3 pounds russet potatoes
2 cups all purpose flour
1 extra large egg
1 teaspoon salt (preferably kosher or sea salt)
½ cup canola oil
Additional salt of any kind for boiling water
Ice water (if making the gnocchi ahead of time for dinner later)
Makes 4 big servings
1. Boil the potatoes in a large pot of water until tender, 30-45 minutes, depending on size of taters.
2. Allow potatoes to cool to just warmer than room temperature and peel the potatoes.
3. While still warm, pass potatoes through a vegetable mill and onto your wooden, clean working surface (Use a giant cutting board for best results)
4. Bring a large stock pot of water (about 6 quarts of water) to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt.
5. In a large mixing bowl create an “ice bath” of 1/3 ice cubes and 2/3 cool water.
6. In the middle of your pile of milled potatoes, create a “well,” basically a hole surrounded by the potatoes, like an inverted volcano.
7. Sprinkle the whole pile of potatoes with flour and break the egg into the center of the well.
8. Add the kosher salt and, using a fork, blend the egg and salt together. Then, using the fork, begin the incorporate the flour and potatoes.
9. Once the dough forms together, begin kneading it gently, using your hands and getting dirty, forming it into one ball of pasta dough.
10. Knead the dough gently (if you are too vigorous you unleash the chemicals too swiftly and create a dough that is too dense) for about 3-5 minutes until dry to the touch (if necessary add a little more flour, but not too much.
11. Divide the dough ball into small balls then roll each ball into a rope about 2/3 inch in diameter. Cut each rope into 1 inch long pieces.
12. Properly made gnocchi has ridges along each side allowing the sauce to soak and sink in to each gnocchi. To create this, take each cut gnocchi piece and roll each down the back of a fork.
13. Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water and cook until they float to the surface, 1-2 minutes then immediately transfer to the ice bath (thus stopping the cooking at the perfect moment)
14. Drain and transfer to a bowl, drizzle with oil, toss and refrigerate covered.
TO SERVE WITH TRUFFLE OIL SAUCE:
1 batch of gnocchi, as above
2 tablespoons black truffle oil (available at any Trader Joes…it’s simply truffles in olive oil)
2 Tablespoons white truffle oil (same as above)
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup chopped shallot
10 ounces mushrooms (chantrelle are great but any will do for this dish)
1 cup chicken broth
1. For the gnocchi, bring a large stockpot to boil with water and add a pinch of salt
2. In a large saute pan, melt butter and olive oil over medium heat
3. Add shallots and mushrooms and cook to desired doneness for a pasta sauce (I like mine fairly fresh so I cook only 3-5 minutes)
4. Add broth to sauce and simmer for 3 minutes
5. Cook gnocchi until they float to the top, about 3 minutes, drain
6. add gnocchi to sauce, mix
7. Add truffle oil to gnocchi sauce mix and toss, allowing truffle oil to blend and warm slightly. Serve immediately.
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