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Written by Brian Olsen
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Thursday, 12 May 2005 00:00 |
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Location: Fort Kent, ME
The gastronomy of Scandinavia and Finland has one very basic ingredient: the potato. Take away the spud, and people across the northland would be sitting around a table of fish and meat. So it is surprising that they eat potatoes in the same manner almost every night. The potatoes are boiled, peeled, and set in a bowl in the center of the table. Such is the case in northern Maine and parts of the Midwest, where many Scandinavian immigrants settled.
Long ago, perhaps as long ago as the 1300’s, people living in present-day northern Italy came up with one of the first food preparation methods: gnocchi. Gnocchi is Italian for small dumplings, which in layman’s terms are small, cooked balls of dough. Made from durum wheat flour, pasta is actually a form of gnocchi. Nowadays, any gnocchi made of flour and water is considered pasta. The base for gnocchi can vary from root vegetables to grains, while the flavoring can vary from spinach to mushrooms to herbs.
This recipe for potato gnocchi is a good way to use up left-over mashed potatoes. Basically, the mashed potato is mixed with eggs and flour to create dough, which in turn is cut into small dumplings. The gnocchi are then boiled in water. Finally, they are then sautéed with butter and seasonings, over tossed with a different sauce.
If your taste buds have grown tired of plain potatoes or the regular pasta and tomato sauce, try cooking up a plate of gnocchi.
Basic Potato Gnocchi
Serves 5
2 lb russet potatoes
½ oz butter
Pinches of salt, pepper, and nutmeg
1 egg yolk
1 whole egg
2 c flour
1 oz butter
8 tbsp fresh rosemary
2 oz Parmesan
Boil the potatoes whole in salted water until easily pierced by a fork. It is important to use russet baking potatoes because they are low in water content, but high in starch content.
Peel the hot potatoes and cut them into small ½ inch pieces. Place them in a dry pan on the stove over low heat to evaporate any excess moisture.
When the potatoes are no longer steaming, remove them from the stove and mash them until they are smooth and free of lumps.
Add the egg yolk, an additional whole egg, and the ½ oz of butter. Beat the mixture until it is smooth and free of lumps.
Add one cup of the flour and beat it into the mixture. Add the next cup of flour a bit at a time, beating the mixture until the flour is fully incorporated. The dough should be stiff, but not too sticky.
Take about a quarter of the dough and roll it out on a clean surface. Make cylinders about 1 inch in diameter. Cut the dough cross-wise every ½ inch. Shape each dumpling into a rounded oval. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Gently set the gnocchi in a pot of simmering, salted water.
Meanwhile, over medium heat in a frying pan, heat the butter and rosemary.
When the gnocchi rise to the surface, less than five minutes, gently transfer them to the frying pan with a slotted spoon. Gently stir them until they are all evenly coated with the rosemary butter and become very hot, about five more minutes.
Gently remove them from the frying pan onto warm plates. Cover them with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
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