Here is a typical Italian dish “Gnocchi”, very simple and easy to make.
Usually we meet in the family mid-morning to prepare them all together, so they can be enjoyed better with the whole family!
The main ingredient is the potato, but not all potatoes, however, adapt to make “gnocchi”: these must have a certain consistency to prevent the “dumpling” from being crushed during processing! And today the potatoes that are in the supermarket are absolutely not good, they are too rich in water, not too floury and neither is the taste so good.
But I’m lucky: about an hour’s drive from home we went for a picnic in the mountains and we even passed by Rotzo (VI) a small (really small, barely less then 650 inhabitants) mountain village famous for the Pach Waterfall (here my review )
… and for his potatoes:
Not for nothing once a year there is also a the traditional “Feast of the Rotzo Potato” dedicated to his potato!
It will be mountain air, it will be the ideal temperature and maybe even the quality of the water, but these potatoes have a completely different taste than city potatoes: a more mature taste, they keep cooking well and are ideal for “gnocchi” , to make them fried or even baked. A whole other thing! And passing through the only road that crosses this small town one cannot but stop and buy at least a 10 kg bag of potatoes. that practically every resident sells either inside his garage or along the road!
But let’s proceed with the preparation of this culinary delicacy!
Boil, after having been washed, the potatoes for about 30/40 minutes.
(The secret to understanding if the potato is cooked is to stick a fork in it: if it is advancing gently up to half a potato then we are there)!
Then immediately under cold water and proceed to pull off the peel.
Once this is done, the potatoes are crushed with a special tool called potato mash, which is used to make them pulp.
Add an egg and then a little flour and salt.
Mix everything together until you have a consistent dough.
Now take a little and work with your hands until you get a loaf of pasta.
With the knife it is cut into small pieces of about a couple of centimeters
and here the magic takes place:
one by one he sticks his thumb to create a small hollow and with the help of a fork he rakes the back of the dumplings.
In doing so the sauce manages to stick well on the surface of the dumpling making it much more tasty!
The cooking is very simple and lasts very few minutes: they are thrown in a pot with boiling and slightly salted water: when the gnocchi come back to the surface they are cooked and ready to be put on the plate!
Typically these “gnocchi” should be eaten either with butter and sage, with tomato sauce or, as I prefer, with ragù and a nice sprinkling of parmesan cheese:
Yummy, I still taste it in my mouth !!
Enjoy everyone, try them (and you will be surprised by their taste)!
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These are the doses for four people:
1kg of potatoes
300 grams of white flour
a pinch of salt
an egg
How do you see a few ingredients for a simple, inexpensive yet delicious dish!!
Thanks for reading,
David
This is a collaborative post by #TeamItaly included in the #TeamChallenge proposed by @ermest. The post is part of the series about Italy: Italian culture between ancient and modern. Special thanks to the members of #GangItaly for their great commitment in this challenge between countries
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