While the pressure to stay constantly connected and up to date is at its highest in the era of information we currently live in, I often find the barrage of social media and advertising a tremendous source of daily inspiration. Yes, like many, I am occasionally guilty of texting during dinner or snapping a few stalker subway pics here and there but I am also thankful for the technology to see what else is happening in the world and how I can instantly bring that into my own world. My internet vice is definitely Instagram, but according to psychology studies, this shouldn’t be a surprise. As humans, we have an easier time making emotional connections through visual contact than any other form. That logic probably explains why one sneak peak at what someone at the table next to us is eating is always more compelling than reading something off a menu. Anyway, as I was doing my hourly Instagram rounds, I stumbled upon a friend’s restaurant’s post for black truffle gnocchi. Immediately, the black truffle specs reminded me of the black sesame seeds I often use in my cooking and not long thereafter, I was in the kitchen making my own batch of fresh, homemade gnocchi. As such, I’m a firm believer that as long as you don’t spend all your time staring at a screen, technology and social media can expeditiously provide you some great new ideas on what to do with that precious time.
Okay, now onto the the gnocchi. Gnocchi is naturally my favorite pasta because I freaking love potatoes. Fried, baked, scalloped and now in pasta form? Sign me up! Although the recipe for homemade gnocchi is quite easy, there are a few key steps along the way that are crucial in guaranteeing the perfect taste and texture.
1. You want to start by boiling potatoes with their skins peeled and letting them sit out for a bit once they are finished boiling. The key here is to keep the potatoes as dry as possible before incorporating them into the gnocchi dough so the dough doesn’t become too mushy.
2. Once your potatoes have cooled, the second important trick to perfect gnocchi is to mash them with a fork until they have a consistency similar to cous cous or quinoa. This texture allows the potato to mix evenly with the flour and egg. I’ve tried mashing them beforehand with a hand blender in the past, but the potatoes stick together too much and you end up having uneven lumps of potato and flour throughout your dough.
3. Here comes the fun part. Sprinkle a clean work surface with flour and start with mashed potatoes, then add flour and sesame seed mix on top. (This recipe pan fries the gnocchi in a miso butter sauce, which is extremely savory. If you don’t plan on making the miso glaze, make sure to add in a teaspoon of salt to the flour and sesame seed mix for flavor.) Once you’ve laid down your dry ingredients, create a crater in the center (like a volcano) and crack in your egg. Using a fork, slowly whisk the egg in an outward circular motion until a wet dough ball begins to form.
4. Use your hands to knead the dough and add in additional flour as necessary to form a large dough ball. Make sure you set aside only an extra half cup of flour beforehand to use for kneading and rolling. Too much flour will make the gnocchi tough and chewy.
5. Divide gnocchi dough into four or five even pieces. With each piece, roll into a log of 1 inch thickness. Use a dough cutter (I’m not that fancy so I used a spatula :)) to cut log into gnocchi pieces. I like using a fork to create decorative ridges but it’s totally up to you. I just find that the ridges add a little bit more texture and trap sauce a bit better.
6. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add in gnocchi. You’ll know they’re ready when they float to the top!
7. Now all that’s left is to make your miso butter sauce, which is basically just melted butter, miso, black pepper and some ground ginger. I’m a sucker for a little crispy sear at the bottom of my gnocchi so I let them sit for 1-2 minutes in the pan before serving.
Ta da! You’ve just made fresh homemade gnocchi! Easy peasy right? The best part is that any uncooked gnocchi will do pretty well in the freezer for several weeks so you can have fresh gnocchi on hand all winter. Bon appetit!
