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    Tuesday, February 01, 2011

    Gnocchi - Its easy when you know how.

     
    I never really got Gnocchi, thought it was a bit boring. Obviously I hadn’t really tasted it properly.
    This recipe that I got from Chef Michael Smith is perfectly simple and is excellent.
    The little gnocchi pillows just melt in your mouth, with the added extra, of brown sage butter
    Heaven.
    Sorry if you are on the Atkins, or watching the calories, stop here.
    Otherwise carry on, you are in for a treat.

    The Gnocchi is made from Kumara (Sweet potato)
    No eggs just some oil to moisten.

    There is a little trick rolling them down the fork and I haven’t got that right yet but I am on my way. This is not necessary but the ridges formed by the fork hold the sauce.

    Has to be fresh sage but that is easy to come by. Sage is one of the herbs easily grown in pots. If I can do you can!

    So here we go


    Sweet Potato (Kumara) Dumplings (Gnocchi).



    3 medium Kumara
    1 cup flour plus extra for rolling out
    2 tablespoons olive oil
    1 tablespoon dried oregano
    Sea Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper


    1/4 cup unsalted butter
    6 fresh sage leaves

    Heat oven to 170C
    Place Kumara on baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour till they are squishy
    When they are cool enough to handle
    Split open and spoon flesh into a large bowl
    Add oregano, 1 cup flour. Salt, pepper and olive oil
    Mash and knead everything into a dough
    If the dough seems a bit wet add a little more flour
    The trick is to add the least amount of flour to bring the Kumara into a workable dough

    Turn out on floured board and roll into a ball.
    Cut in half and roll each half into a sausage

    Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to the boil
    Salt the water liberally as you would for pasta.
    Cut each sausage into 2.5 cm pieces
    Toss them around in flour, to stop them sticking together
     Now is the time to roll them if you wish
    Just roll down the fork and the tip of the prongs will make little ridges


    Drop them into the boiling water you can do about 10 at a time.
    Cook them till they float to the surface about 2-3 minutes

    In another pan melt butter over medium heat
    Add sage leaves
    Let butter brown and bubble
    DON'T burn
    It will have a lovely nutty smell
    Remove gnocchi from pot and place in sage butter
    Toss around for a minute or two till they brown
    Continue and repeat with the rest of the gnocchi.
    Look at these. So yummy
    I placed the extra, not eaten by us, on a tray and free flow froze them for a later date.
    NOW leftovers
    I had of course the Baked Kumara Skins
    Popped them on a greased tray

    There was leftover Pumpkin Risotto
    Filled the skins.

    There was also Sage Brown Butter in the pan
    Too rich to eat the lot, over the Gnocchi

    Warm the butter
    Add 2 medium chopped tomatoes
    Saute about 2 minutes
    Add enough flour to make a roux
    Stir well
    Season with S & P

    and add water stirring while it thickens.
    Let simmer for about 5 minutes

    Pour over filled skins
    Cover with grated cheese
    Into a hot oven say about 10 minutes
    Sprinkle with a little parsley
    Voila Lunch!

    2 comments:

    Barbara said...

    Yum I love gnocchi. I always order if it's on the menu. I remember my first gnocchi at Wawricks Brown's restaurant in Ponsonby back in the eighties. The restaurant was something with the name goat in I think.

    So So Simple said...

    Was it Goats Head or something like that I remember it too before we moved to AK