Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Hi,

Last weekend we made gnocchi using Cook's Illustrated's recent article. For someone who has made rubber-band gnocchi in the past, this recipe really works. The concepts focus on drying the potato mix, weighing potatoes/flour like you would for pastry, and minimal mixing to prevent gluten formation. (It reminded me of Kenji's pie pastry technique.)

Concepts:

Baking russets produced intensely flavored potatoes
Par-cooking in the microwave streamlined cooking.
Finish baking in an oven. Boiling eliminates flavor and adds moisture.
Peel the potatoes while hot allows them to dry.
Rice potatoes to eliminate lumps. Lumps can cause gnocchi to break apart during cooking. Ricing gave us a smooth, supple mash.
Spread potatoes on a sheet pan to further dry them out.
A precise 4:1 ratio of cooked potato to flour by weight minimizes mixing of the gnocchi dough.
Add an egg tenderized the gnocchi further, delivering delicate, pillow-like dumplings.
Knead only once and just long enough to bring together.
Roll potato gnocchi against a down-facing fork to make grooves. duh?

Yes, I have already been told that this recipe is useless to any competent cook, but I certainly don't meet that level of perfection.

Tim

Hi Tim, thanks for the review. I do all of the above except for the weighing of the potato to flour and usually have an issue figuring out what is the right amount of flour. I did pick up this issue but haven't had a chance to read it yet.

Thanks for the review, Tim. I've been wanting to try to make gnocchi. I think I'll try this.

Oh, I feel tired just reading that.

I think I'll buy some pre-made gnocchi.

trying to post a picture with no luck....

I have pictures on f/b of gnocchi making and of my mom helping to make them. It certainly goes faster with 2 people!

jean,

Those pictures look fine to me.

How are you rolling the gnocchi? I'm used to doing them as a big rope, but you're clearly doing something else.

Jean, those are beautiful!
fitzie

I got the pics to work but forgot to edit the post.

We do a not too long rope (easier for me to manage) and cut them all, then roll them along the gnocchi paddle. I have a 50 pound bag of russets in my cold cellar and am out of gnocchi, so hopefully I'll be able to make them again soon.
My dad made the board we are using, it it the same width as my counter and provides a great surface for bread and gnocchi making.

Fitzie - thanks!