It is basically a dumpling, a potato cake if you like, chopped and boiled, but also can be baked in the oven. It can be served with lots of sauces, tomato based sauces, pesto, butter and sage or simply cheese and oil.
Ingredients:
1 Kilo potatoes
400 g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
First boil your potatoes with the skins on until soft. Keeping the skins on keeps them dry inside.
Remove the skins and mash them lightly with a fork or a potato ricer. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt.
Add the flour and the egg, beat in and mix the ingredients. Knead lightly, but not too much. If you feel it isn’t coming together – add another egg. Form into a loaf shape.
Cut into 2 cm ish pieces.
Roll each piece into a long thin sausage about 1 cm, with a spreading movement of the fingers.
Be gentle.
Cut into small pieces about 1 cm each
Lightly flour to stop them sticking and store in the fridge. They will be good for a couple of days. You can press them into all kinds of shapes if you like. You can freeze them too.
Cook in salted boiling water. When you put them in they will sink, but rise to the surface when they are ready, scoop out with a slotted spoon.
Give them a minute to dry off on the surface then add your sauce.
Gnocchi
Gnocchi is real peasant food, it’s cheap and utterly gorgeous.It has another name ‘Priest’s Ruin’ after a gentleman who ate too many!