Being that I don't make savory foods as much, I thought I'd like to make some gnocchi. Why not, right? So I looked up a recipe to get the gist of how to make it and get too it. I know that russet potatoes are baking potatoes and have a little less moisture in them and would probably be one of the best potatoes to use for the gnocchi, but being that I only have red potatoes I thought what could it hurt.
And it starts. I take the potatoes and poke it with a fork a couple times and get to work on baking them on a sheet pan covered with foil. I cook them until I feel they are fork tender. But when I start to peel the potatoes, I realize that they are not fully cooked but not raw either. So, somewhere in between the soft pillow like goodness that would turn into some really light and creamy mashed potato and al dente potatoes that you would want to make an gratin with. As you can see I love potatoes! And there was my mistake.
I wish I had cooked the potatoes just a tad more, but life goes on.
Then I take the potatoes and mash them. If I had a food mill or a potato ricer it would have helped, but I do not and so it was a fork for me. I mash the potatoes as best I can with the fork while thinking 'if only I had been just a bit more patient, it would have only taken another 10 to 15 minutes in the oven.' I almost took mashed my fingers a couple of times as well, but I finally got it done. Then come the easier part. I added the egg and salt, then sprinkled the mixture with flour slowly mixing and kneading the dough just until it comes together. Then I clean up the mess that I had made with the flour and dough. It is a sticky dough.
I then take the dough and divide into 3 parts, roll each part into a snake a little bit thicker then my fingers, and then cut them into 1 inch pieces. I get a pot of salt water boiling and throw these suckers in. Once they start to float up to the top I take them out and toss them into a pan that I had already heated up with some butter. I get some color on them and add some mushrooms, salt and pepper. I top it off with some cut up fresh basil that I get from my garden and ta da! Gnocchi. I feel this was a great try but the potatoes were all chunky in the gnocchi and it needed more flavor for sure. But I feel that it was good try on my part.
Here is the recipe that I used:
14 oz red potatoes
1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup and 2 Tablespoons flour
5 button mushrooms sliced up
3 Tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste
From this recipe I would change a couple of things tho. I would peel the potatoes and boil them up. It takes less time and once you drain the potatoes, just get them back into the pot and let them dry out just a bit before you do anything. And I would try this with some brown butter. To brown butter, you just heat up the butter until the milk solids start to change color and brown. Another indication of brown butter will be the smell. It will start to smell like toasted nuts.
Well I hope that this is a recipe that you try. Happy Chomps and Nibbles.
