Potato Gnocchi

My neighbor in Provence, Marie, taught me to make gnocchi. Those are her hands deftly rolling the dough. She and her sister-in-law used to give my students lessons when I had my culinary vacation program in Provence. You can read about Marie and me in my book, A Pig in Provence.

To make good gnocchi you need to use dry potatoes. Look for russets whose skins have begun to shrivel, indicating a loss of moisture. Adding too much flour will result in heavy gnocchi. For the fluffiest, lightest gnocchi, use a vegetable mill.

2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Boil the potatoes until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Alternatively, bake them at 350 degrees until tender and flaky.

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While they are still hot, peel and pass them through a vegetable mill or grate them on the large hole of a hand-held grater into a bowl. Add the egg and ¾ of the flour, mixing well. Knead on a floured board until the dough is soft and sticky. Add more flour until just barely not sticky.Take 1 cup of the dough at a time, and with the palms of your hands roll it into a cylinder a foot long. Cut it in half and roll each of the 2 pieces into a 12-inch long cylinder. Cut into 1/2-inch long pieces. Coat thoroughly with flour. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook 2 dozen or so gnocchi at a time – don’t crowd them until they float to the surface, which takes only moments. Remove them with a slotted spoon and keep warm in an oven. Serve with the Rosemary and Walnut Cream Sauce.

Serves 8

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