Veneto Region Style Gnocchi

The weekends are the only time the mister and I have to cook proper meals. While we both make an effort on the week nights, there just isn't enough time to do anything too elaborate. Ever since I met the mister he's talked about his Dad's amazing gnocchi recipe and the other weekend we finally got a chance to make it. The mister did the majority of the cooking. Not liking to be idle in the kitchen, I made some bruschetta and snapped some pictures. I've provided the family recipe below.

 

 

 

 Ingredients:


Potatoes - (The best quality - gnocchi requires potatoes which have a low moisture content.)


Eggs, Flour, Salt.

1. Peel potatoes (about 4 good sized potatoes for two people)


2. Boil potatoes in salted water (about 2 teaspoons) until cooked through, but don’t overboil to ensure potato texture remains on the slightly firm side.


3. Mash the potatoes thoroughly ensuring that no lumps remain.


4. Break two eggs and fold thoroughly into the potato mash.


5. Take a cup of flour and use sufficient to achieve a flour coating on a flat working surface.


6. Knead the mash thoroughly, adding flour during the kneading process until the mash texture reaches a state where the mash can be separated into several parts and binds without sticking to the work surface or breaking apart.


If the right potatoes have been used the amount of flour required to get the mash to the needed texture will be relatively low, but it is important, if necessary, to continue to add flour to ensure the correct texture is achieved.

7. When Step 6 is complete divide the mash into four parts. You will keep using flour around the mash to ensure that the mash does not stick to the working surface.


8. Roll each portion of mash into a tube-like form with a diameter of around 15 mm (a little over ½ inch). Cut off lengths from the mash tube of about 45 mm (a little over 1¾ inches). Keep using flour as required around each individual gnocchi to ensure no ‘sticking’ to the work surface.

9. Prepare a good size pot of water and bring to the boil (keep the pot on the boil while the gnocchi are cooking). Drop around 6-8 gnocchi into the boiling water and wait for them to rise to the surface. Remove the gnocchi with a strainer and place into a pan being kept warm on the stove, combining with sauce as you go. (It is crucial for the gnocchi not to ‘stick’ together - and they won’t if the ingredients are right and the process is followed.


Repeat the process until all the gnocchi have been cooked.

 The Sauce

Many options here, but the classical Veneto Region sauce is to soften chopped onion in olive oil then add chunks of veal (do not mince). When veal is browned add a small amount of tomato puree and let cook until veal is tender. (Veal is a key meat in Italian cooking.) If you can’t get veal, steak will do.