Potato Gnocchi With Chicken Livers And Pancetta Recipes

POTATO GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Spread a layer of kosher salt on a baking sheet and arrange the potatoes on top (see Cook's Note). Bake until a bit overcooked, about 45 minutes. Let sit until cool enough to handle, cut in half, and scoop out the flesh. Reserve the potato skins, if desired, for another use.
• Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer or grate them on the large holes of a box grater. You should have about 2 cups. Make a mound of potatoes on the counter with a well in the middle, add 3 of the egg yolks, the cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix in the potatoes and mix well with hands. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the flour over the potatoes and, using your knuckles, press it into the potatoes. Fold the mass over on itself and press down again. Sprinkle on more flour, little by little, folding and pressing the dough until it just holds together, (try not to knead it.) Work any dough clinging to your fingers back into the dough. If the mixture is too dry, add another egg yolk or a little water. The dough should give under slight pressure. It will feel firm but yielding. To test if the dough is the correct consistency, take a piece and roll it with your hands on a well-floured board into a rope 1/2-inch in diameter. If the dough holds together, it is ready. If not, add more flour, fold and press the dough several more times, and test again.
• Keeping your work surface and the dough lightly floured, cut the dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 1/2-inch in diameter. Cut into 1/2-inch-long pieces. Lightly flour the gnocchi as you cut them. You can cook these as is or form them into the classic gnocchi shape with a gnocchi board, ridged butter paddle, or the tines of a large fork turned upside down. Rest the bottom edge of the gnocchi board on the work surface, then tilt it at about a 45 degree angle. Take each piece and squish it lightly with your thumb against the board while simultaneously pushing it away from you. It will roll away and around your thumb, taking on a cupped shape -- with ridges on the outer curve from the board and a smooth surface on the inner curve where your thumb was. (Shaping them takes some time and dexterity. You might make a batch just for practice.) The indentation holds the sauce and helps gnocchi cook faster.
• As you shape the gnocchi, dust them lightly with flour and scatter them on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or waxed paper. Set gnocchi filled cookie sheet in front of a fan on low for 1/2 hour (turning gnocchi after 15 minutes). If you will not cook the gnocchi until the next day or later, freeze them. Alternatively, you can poach them now, drain and toss with a little olive oil, let cool, then refrigerate several hours or overnight. To reheat, dip in hot water for 10 to 15 seconds, then toss with browned butter until hot.
• When ready to cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Drop in the gnocchi and cook for about 90 seconds from the time they rise to the surface. Remove the cooked gnocchi with a skimmer, shake off the excess water, and serve as desired.

GNOCCHI AND TOMATO PANCETTA SAUCE

Steps:

• Boil the potatoes until fork tender (not mushy). As soon as they are done, remove from the water and place in a dish. Remove the skin from the potatoes using a sharp knife or fork. Cut the potatoes into pieces and process the peeled, hot potatoes through a food mill using the medium disk.
• Place a mound of flour, about 2 1/2 cups to start, on your work surface (a floured board). Place all of the processed potatoes on top of the flour. Knead the flour/potato mixture with your hands until the dough is smooth; free of lumps, but yet still a little sticky. This recipe does not lend itself to making the dough in the food processor or mixer. Keep adding flour as necessary to obtain the desired consistency. The amount of the flour needed depends on how much water is in the potatoes, the moisture in the air, etc. Sometimes it can take up to 4 cups to obtain the right consistency. Keep kneading until it is right.
• After kneading the dough, place it under a dry kitchen towel to keep it warm. Immediately start making the gnocchi. This dough must be used right away. Cut a small piece off of the dough. Roll the piece into a "log" that is approximately 12 to 16 inches long. The log should be about 1/2-inch in diameter. You do not want it too wide or the gnocchi get too "fat." Cut the "log" into pieces about 1-inch long. You will end up with about 12 to16 gnocchi per log. The next step is to form the gnocchi.
• Take a fork in your left hand (if you are right handed), and hold it straight up with the tines facing towards the ceiling. With your index finger of your right hand, take 1 piece of gnocchi (the 1-inch pieces that you cut above), and starting at the top of the fork, roll the piece down the inside tine of the fork. This should be done with firm pressure (not too firm as to smash the gnocchi, but firm enough to roll the piece down the fork and leave an indentation on the gnocchi). When you get to the base of the tines, release the gnocchi and let it drop to a floured tray. The "completed" gnocchi should be marked with the fork tines on 1 side of it and have a slight indentation from your index finger on the other side of it. This shape and marking allow the pasta to "catch" the sauce when you serve it.
• Proceed with all of the dough and make each piece as directed. This goes very fast once you get the hang of it. Let the pasta sit on the floured trays on you counter until ready to serve. However, serving time should be within 4 to 5 hours of making the gnocchi. Otherwise they will dry out and get tough.
• To serve, boil the gnocchi in lots of boiling, salted water. As soon as the pasta rises to the top, it is done. (This is also very quick). Drain the cooked gnocchi in a colander or strainer. Place the cooked pasta in a serving platter and top/mix with the sauce.
• Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the chopped pancetta, red pepper flakes and parsley. Cook until the pancetta is cooked through and is slightly brown. Add the garlic; cook for another 2 minutes.
• Process the tomatoes with their juice in the food processor. Pulse the tomatoes briefly until they are coarsely chopped. You do not want them to puree. Add to the cooked ingredients in the saucepan. Add salt to taste. Continue cooking on a low simmer for about 1 hour until the sauce has reduced and is somewhat thicker. You can keep cooking this for up to 3 hours. The longer you cook it, the thicker and richer it becomes. If you cook it too long, add water to reduce the thickness and you reach the desired consistency.

BAKED GNOCCHI WITH CHICKEN

Steps:

• Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a deep ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and wipe out the skillet.
• Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat; add the flour and cook, whisking, 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk and chicken broth until smooth; simmer, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in 1/2 teaspoon salt and the nutmeg.
• Add the chicken, mushrooms, gnocchi and spinach to the sauce and stir until coated and the spinach wilts. Sprinkle with the parmesan, transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes. Turn on the broiler; broil until lightly browned on top, about 3 more minutes.

POTATO GNOCCHI WITH PANCETTA, PEAS AND SAGE

Steps:

• To make the gnocchi:.
• Wash and dry the potatoes. Slit each one or prick with a fork. Place in a 375 degree oven and bake for approximately 1 hour or until tender all the way through.
• Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel the skin and run the potatoes through a food mill or potato ricer onto a baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator until the potatoes are cold.
• Put the riced potatoes on a floured flat working surface. Sprinkle the salt, the cheese and about 1 cup of the flour over the potatoes. Create a well in the potatoes and add the beaten egg.
• Begin mixing the ingredients together with your hands and kneading the dough lightly. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky but be careful not to add too much flour or knead the dough too much. This will make the gnocchi very heavy and tough. (You can test out your dough by boiling a little water and dropping some of your dough into it to cook. If they fall apart you will need to add more flour. If they are heavy and tough, then you have added too much flour.).
• Cut off pieces of dough and roll them out with your hands into ropes about the diameter of your thumb. Then cut the ropes into about 1 inch pieces. You can also roll each gnocchi over the back of a fork to create ridges if desired.
• Put gnocchi on a baking sheet with plenty of flour to keep them from sticking to each other and the pan.
• To make the sauce:.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the pancetta. Cook until crisp.
• Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds then add the sage. Cook another 30 seconds.
• Add the chicken broth and peas and cook over medium high heat until the liquid is reduced by half.
• Lower the heat to low and add the butter and cook until melted and the sauce is slightly thickened.
• Cook the gnocchi in boiling water. They will rise to the surface when they are done. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and let drain. Add them to the sauce and gently stir together.
• Serve with additional cheese at the table.

GNOCCHI WITH PANCETTA, SPINACH & PARMESAN CREAM

Steps:

• Cook the gnocchi following pack instructions, then drain. Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp of the oil in a small pan and fry the garlic, then add the cream and a good grating of nutmeg. Put to one side.
• Heat 2 tsp of the remaining oil in a frying pan and cook the pancetta until crisp. Add the gnocchi and fry until it starts to turn golden, adding a little more oil if it begins to stick. Stir in the spinach, lemon zest and seasoning.
• Stir the Parmesan into the cream sauce. Spoon the gnocchi onto plates, drizzle over the sauce and scatter with pine nuts. Serve with extra Parmesan.

POTATO GNOCCHI WITH CHICKEN LIVERS AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• For gnocchi:
• Preheat oven to 450°F. Pierce potato in several places with fork. Bake until tender, about 1 hour. Let stand until just cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Peel potato. Press potato through ricer or food mill or mash in large bowl. Add flour, egg, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, lemon peel, salt, and pepper and stir just until blended. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface; divide into 8 pieces. Roll 1 dough piece between hands and surface to 15-inch-long rope. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Place gnocchi on lightly floured baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)
• For sauce:
• Bring 1/2 cup water to boil in small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add porcini; let soak until soft, about 20 minutes. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add crimini mushrooms; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add porcini mushrooms and their soaking liquid, leaving behind any sediment in bowl. Cook until almost all liquid evaporates, about 1 minute. Add broth and vinegar. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until reduced to 1 cup liquid, about 4 minutes. Whisk in 3 tablespoons butter.
• Heat heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta; sauté until pancetta is crisp, about 2 minutes. Add shallots, parsley, sage, and rosemary. Sauté until shallots are soft, about 5 minutes. Add liver and sauté just until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add mushroom mixture. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add gnocchi and cook until rising to surface, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking 1 minute longer. Drain. Divide gnocchi among 4 plates. Spoon sauce over and serve.
• *Dried porcini mushrooms are available at Italian markets, specialty foods stores, and many supermarkets.
• **Pancetta, Italian bacon cured in salt, is available at Italian markets, some specialty foods stores, and some supermarkets.