ny-O-kEE

Ok, can anyone guess by the title what I'm featuring in this post?

Don't cheat by looking at the pictures.

Have you guessed yet?

No? Ok, I'll help you out.

Yes, it's Italian Gnocchi and the title is the correct phonetic pronunciation. So, impress the waiter at your favorite Italian place next time and pronounce it like a pro!

When I saw that the challenge was vegetarian this month, I immediately thought I would challenge myself to make homemade potato gnocchi, which I have never done. I immediately consulted my man, JO (Jamie Oliver), for a recipe. Please, don't tell the Italians in my life that I consulted an Englishman for a Gnocchi recipe! I'm telling you ... his recipes are infallible! So here it is, JO's recipe for the lightest potato gnocchi ever!

6 medium potatoes (baking type potatoes that are floury, not new potatoes)
olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg yolk
1-2 handfuls plain flour (or if you can find it Italian flour, tipo 00)
semolina flour (or potato flour)

Preheat oven to 220C/425F. Rub your potatoes with olive oil and prick them all over with a fork and lay them in a roasting tray. Put in the preheated oven and bake for an hour until the potatoes are fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. Allow them to cool for a few minutes and then, while they are still warm cut them in half and carefully scoop out the potato flesh. Put the potato flesh through a potato ricer/mill or we pressed them through a sieve (although it took a long time). When you have a really smooth mashed potato mixture, place them in a bowl and add salt (about 1-1.5 t.) and pepper (a good pinch) to taste, the egg yolk, and enough of the flour to bind your mixture - you probably won't need all of it. Mix together and knead with your hands until you have a dry doughy consistency. Add a little water if it is too dry or a little more flour if it is too wet.

Once you have your dough, divide it into 3 pieces and roll each piece out on a floured surface into long tubes the thickness of a sausage. Cut each tube into 1" pieces. Place them on a bed of semolina flour (or we used potato flour) on a tray and put in the fridge for 10-20 min. to set.



We tossed our gnocchi with a wild mushroom sauce:
150g/5.5 oz mixed wild mushrooms, cleaned and torn into rough pieces (we used oyster mushrooms)
1/2 of a fresh red chili, deseeded and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a small knob of butter
a ladle of vegetable stock or water
parmesan, for grating

Heat a splash of olive oil in a saute pan. Add your mushrooms and toss for 2-3 min., then add the chopped chili, garlic, salt and pepper, and butter. When the garlic is slightly golden, add your stock or water and continue to cook on a med. heat for 5 min.

Meanwhile, cook your gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water for 4 minutes or until they begin to float. Once cooked they are very delicate, I fish them out of the water with a slotted spoon. Add them to the mushroom mixture, toss gently, and serve with plenty of grated parmesan.


As requested, a couple of other vegetarian ideas for serving gnocchi:

Potato Gnocchi with a Gorgonzola dolce sauce:
Heat a saute pan on low heat. Add 2 T. gorgonzola dolce, 3 T. butter and 6 T. heavy cream with a pinch of black pepper. Mix together using the back of a wooden spoon until you have a smooth melted cheese sauce. Cook your gnocchi and toss them in the gorgonzola sauce. Serve with plenty of parmesan and a sprinkle of marjoram leaves. I am not sure what the difference is between gorgonzola and gorgonzola dolce other than the latter must be a bit sweeter but I'm sure either would work fine. I don't like gorgonzola but the picture in the cookbook makes me wish I did.

Herby Gnocchi with Butter Sauce:
Finely chop a small bunch of arugula leaves. Make your basic gnocchi dough, adding the finely chopped arugula to the doughy mixture before you start kneading. This will give your gnocchi a greenish tint. Cook them as normal and toss in melted butter with a sprinkle of salt/pepper and, of course, serve with parmesan.