Potato Gnocchi With Lobster And Walnut Butter Recipes

SWEET POTATO GNOCCHI WITH BROWN BUTTER, CRISPY PANCETTA AND SAGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Poke holes all over each sweet potato with a fork, then rub all over with oil. Place on a baking sheet and roast until tender when pierced with a fork, about 40 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove and discard the skins. Quarter each sweet potato and pass a few pieces at a time through a ricer, landing the fluffy strands in a medium bowl; discard any stringy bits. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to mix. (Alternative method: Remove the skins after baking then grate the sweet potatoes on the large holes of a box grater.)
• Bring a large wide pot of water to a boil over high heat.
• Meanwhile, whisk to combine the flour and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Create a well in the center. Add the riced sweet potatoes and egg. Gently fold with a rubber spatula until just combined. Be sure not to overwork the dough!
• Transfer the dough to a generously floured work surface. Bring the dough together with your hands, adding up to 1/4 cup flour, until the dough is just slightly sticky and can be patted into a disk. Let rest on the work surface, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
• Cut the dough into 4 equal wedges. Working with one wedge at a time, roll the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick log on a lightly floured surface. Cut each log into about thirty pieces. (The gnocchi will be slightly sticky in the center.) Transfer to a baking sheet and cover with a dish towel.
• Cook the pancetta, stirring occasionally, in a medium skillet over medium heat until golden brown and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon. Remove the skillet from the heat and reserve the skillet with the fat in it.
• Generously season the boiling water with salt. Reduce the heat to medium and carefully drop a batch of gnocchi into the water and cook until they begin to float; remove to a serving platter with a slotted spoon. Repeat with the remaining gnocchi.
• Heat the reserved skillet and fat over medium heat. Add the butter and cook, stirring occasionally with a silicone spatula, until brown flecks appear, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sage and gently fry in the brown butter until just crispy, about 1 minute.
• Pour the melted butter on the cooked gnocchi. Top with the sage leaves and crispy pancetta pieces. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan, if desired. Enjoy while warm.

POTATO GNOCCHI WITH LOBSTER AND WALNUT BUTTER

Steps:

• For the gnocchi, place the potatoes on a work surface dusted with a little flour. Add the egg yolks, water and salt and pepper to taste and mix lightly with your hands. Add all but about 3 tablespoons of the flour a little at a time, kneading very gently, just until incorporated. Divide the dough into quarters and form each piece into a log 1/2 inch in diameter. Cut each log across into 3/4-inch pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Place 1 ball on a lightly floured fork, just above the tines. Press your thumb into the center of the ball and then roll the ball from the top down the tines of the fork, forming a grooved cylinder. Repeat with the remaining balls. Set aside.
• Heat a grill, preferably using hardwood. Blanch the lobster claws in a large pot of boiling water for 6 minutes. Crack the claws and remove the meat. Rub the lobster tails with olive oil and place on the grill, shell side down. Grill until almost fully cooked, about 8 minutes. Pull the meat from the shell and set aside.
• Drop the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 4 minutes after they float to the surface. Meanwhile, for the sauce, place the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until almost brown. Stir in the walnuts and lemon strips and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the lobster meat and gnocchi and cook 2 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper to taste and the lemon juice. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan. Divide among 4 plates, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

POTATO GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Peel the potatoes and chop into equal-sized chunks. Lay a large sheet of kitchen foil on your work surface, pile the potatoes into the middle and arrange the bay leaves on top, if using. Fold the foil over the potatoes, then fold the edges in to seal and create a parcel. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 1 hr-1 hr 15 mins until the potatoes are tender. Or, tip into a heatproof bowl, cover (do not use foil) and cook in the microwave for 10 mins on high. If still firm, microwave in 5-min bursts until tender. While the potatoes are still hot, pass them through a ricer or push through a sieve onto a tray and cool completely. Will keep chilled for up to two days before using.
• Scatter the flour, 10g of cheese, ½ tsp salt and a grating of nutmeg over the potatoes on the tray, then gently tip the egg yolks on top. Gently bring everything together with your hands until you have a uniform dough that resembles crumbly pastry. Knead for about a minute until it just comes together, but don't overwork it. Divide the dough into four pieces and roll each one out into a long, finger-thick sausage on a lightly floured surface. Cut each sausage into 1.5-2cm nuggets. The gnocchi can now be cooked, or you can create ridges on them by rolling them over the back of a fork, grater or sushi mat. Arrange the gnocchi in a single layer on the tray. Will keep frozen for up to three months. First, freeze on the tray until solid, then portion into food bags.
• Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil. If cooking all the gnocchi at once, you'll need to do this in three batches, cooking each batch for 2 mins, or until they rise to the surface. (You can also cook them for 3-5 mins from frozen.) Remove to a colander using a slotted spoon. Reserve 150ml of the cooking water, discarding the rest. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat with about ½ tsp cracked black pepper and sizzle until the butter turns a nutty brown. Toss through the gnocchi, remaining cheese and about half of the reserved cooking water, then turn up the heat slightly and toss until the gnocchi is well-coated in a thick, cheesy sauce. You may need to add a little more of the cooking water to loosen. Serve the gnocchi straightaway in warm bowls.

QUICK POTATO GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Place 1 cup instant mashed potato flakes in a medium bowl. Pour over them 1 cup boiling water and stir to combine. Add 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 large egg, ¾ teaspoon salt. Knead briefly until the mixture is smooth.
• Bring 4 inches of well-salted water to a simmer in a large pot. Have ready 3 tablespoons butter, melted, or extra-virgin olive oil. Roll about 2 tablespoons of the dough into a ¾-inch-thick log. Cut crosswise into ¾-inch pieces. Press each piece against the tines of a fork, rolling it as you do; this will naturally cause the gnocchi to curl slightly, leaving one side indented and the other ridged. Test the gnocchi by dropping a few into the simmering water and cooking until they float, about 2 minutes. They should hold a firm shape and be chewy to the bite. If they are too soft or disintegrate, knead into the dough up to 3 tablespoons more all-purpose flour and a little beaten egg.
• Test again. When the dough is right, roll the rest of the dough into three or four ¾-inch-thick ropes. Cut the ropes into ¾-inch pieces, shape the dough on the fork as directed above, letting them drop onto a lightly floured baking sheet. Bring the water back to a simmer. *Do not let the water reach a full boil. Drop one-third to half of the gnocchi into the pot and simmer, uncovered, until they float, then remove with a slotted spoon or skimmer to a wide bowl. Note: Never drain gnocchi by pouring the contents of the pot into a colander. Drizzle some of the melted butter or olive oil over the gnocchi. Toss to coat. Repeat until all the gnocchi are done.
• Spoon gnocchi into bowls and top as desired.