So, I had this urge the other day, you know? Felt like making something comforting, something hearty. Italian dumplings, specifically potato gnocchi, popped into my head. Haven’t made them in ages, figured it was time to give it another go.
Getting Started – The Potatoes
First things first, potatoes. Grabbed a bag of Russets from the store. I read somewhere they’re good for gnocchi because they’re starchy and not too watery. Boiled them up with the skins on. Took a while, maybe 30-40 minutes until they were really tender when poked with a fork.
Once they were cooked, I drained them right away. This part’s a bit tricky – peeling hot potatoes isn’t exactly fun. Juggled them around a bit, burned my fingertips slightly, but got the skins off. Then, the mashing. I used a potato ricer this time. Last time I just mashed with a fork and got some lumps, which wasn’t great. The ricer made a huge difference, got this really fine, fluffy pile of potato.
Making the Dough Mix
Let the riced potato cool down a bit. You don’t want it piping hot, apparently it affects the dough. Spread it out on my counter. Then, I made a well in the middle. Cracked an egg into it, added a pinch of salt. For the flour, I didn’t really measure precisely, which might have been a mistake, we’ll see. Started with maybe a cup of all-purpose flour sprinkled around and over the egg.
Then, the messy part. Gently mixed the egg into the potato with a fork first, then started bringing in the flour, bit by bit. Used my hands eventually. The key I remembered reading was not to overwork it. Just mix until it comes together into a soft, slightly sticky dough. Added a tiny bit more flour as I went when it felt way too sticky. It’s a balance, too much flour and they get heavy, too little and they fall apart. Felt okay this time, soft but manageable.
Shaping Those Dumplings
Cleaned the counter, dusted it lightly with flour. Divided the dough into maybe four pieces. Took one piece and gently rolled it out into a long rope, about the thickness of my thumb. Then, chopped the rope into little pillows, maybe an inch long each.
Now, the classic gnocchi look. You’re supposed to roll each piece over the back of a fork to get those ridges. They say it helps hold the sauce. Honestly, I did about half like that, and then got a bit lazy. The rest I just left as little pillows. Gave them a little dimple with my thumb instead. Close enough, right? Put all the finished dumplings onto a floured baking sheet so they wouldn’t stick together while I finished the batch.
Cooking Time!
Got a big pot of salted water boiling. Like, really boiling. Dropped the gnocchi in, maybe a third of them at a time. You don’t want to overcrowd the pot. They sink at first, then, after a minute or two, they pop right up to the surface. That’s how you know they’re done. Scooped them out with a slotted spoon as soon as they floated. Put them straight into a pan where I had some butter melting with a few sage leaves.
- Boil water (salted!)
- Drop gnocchi in batches
- Wait for them to float
- Scoop ’em out!
The Result?
Tossed them gently in the brown butter and sage. Served them up immediately. And you know what? They were pretty darn good! Light, fluffy, not heavy or chewy like some I’ve had (or made before, let’s be honest). The potato flavor came through. That ricer really helped, I think. The ones without the fork ridges were fine too, maybe didn’t hold the butter quite as well, but tasted just the same.
It was a bit of work, yeah. Took up a good chunk of the afternoon, especially with the potato boiling and cooling. But it felt good, making something from scratch like that. Way better than the store-bought stuff. Definitely worth the effort this time. Felt satisfying. Will I make them again soon? Maybe not too soon, my fingertips need to recover from the hot potatoes first!
