Gnocchi in Crema

INGREDIENTS

GNOCCHI (Should serve 4 comfortably but serves only 3 once tasted):

• 1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes

• 1 cup flour

• 1 jumbo egg

• 1 tsp salt

• 5-6 TBS olive oil

CREAMA :

• Half a bunch of green onions

• 2 TBS butter - unsalted

• 4 smashed garlic cloved

• ¼ lb goat cheese

• ¾ cup crème fraîche (or sour cream)

• 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock

• ¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

• 2 TBS olive oil

• salt to taste

GO FOR IT

GNOCCHI:

1. Poke potatoes with a fork, then bake in 350° oven for 1 hour (should be easily pierced with sharp knife)

2. Peel potatoes

3. Use ricer to mash potatoes (or mash however you mash - just dont mash it too fine to work with)

4. Form potatoes into a mound, sprinkle with flour, then created a well in center of mound

5. Add egg to well, then SLOWLY start bringing mashed up potatoes into the egg with a fork until mixed thoroughly

6. Dust your hands with flour, then knead potato/flour/egg mound into a dough

7. Once dough is formed into a smooth ball, break into about 4 smaller balls

8. Using your flour dusted palms, roll the smaller dough balls back and forth until they form into ropes about 1 inch (or less depending on what you consider bite-sized)

9. Cut rope into 1 inch pieces (or less depending on what you consider bite-sized)

10. If desired, add deep grooves to gnocchi pieces using the back of your fork

11. Place gnocchi pieces on a floured baking sheet as they are complete

12. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and drop gnocchi in. It’s ready as soon as it floats to the surface (1 or 2 minutes), then use a slotted spoon and transfer to bowl - toss with olive oil - set aside

CREMA:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add green onions and sear til there is a light char on both sides

2. Wrap seared onions in foil - set aside to steam

3. Meanwhile, add butter to pan (if pan is too hot, butter will burn - you can prevent this by adding a small amount of olive oil before the butter)

4. Once butter is melted, add gnocchi, salt, and toss and saute for a couple minutes to crisp up the gnocchi, then remove from heat and set aside

5. Take charred and steamed green onions, chop roughly, and saute in skilled with garlic for a couple minutes

6. Remove pan from heat, then stir in goat cheese and crème fraîche until creamy

7. Turn heat back on, add stock, then bring to a boil while stirring

8. Reduce sauce by about half, then stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano - add salt to taste

TO FINISH:

1. Add crispy gnocchi to warm crema and coat nicely

2. Serve in bowls and eat IMMEDIATELY

NOTES:

I am terrible at forming gnocchi with those perfect grooves that you see in nice Italian restaurants. I am sure with practice I could be better. Either way, gnocchi is a dough made from potato and flour and egg. If your shapes aren’t very pretty (mine aren’t), don’t worry. Potato and flour and egg is very difficult to mess up and so it’s probably going to taste fantastic no matter what.

Also, goat cheese is rich and creamy and amazing on many things. However, if goat cheese isn’t your thing, just use cream cheese. As with most recipes on this website, there is room for flexibility. That’s why I say use sour cream if you can’t find or like crème fraîche. Sour cream is a bit more tart but I’ll tell you right now that I made this during the COVID-19 quarantine, couldn’t find crème fraîche, and after substituting sour cream, I still cleaned my entire plate believe it or not.

Also, Chris Bianco, who inspired this recipe used spring onions instead of green onions. I’m sure spring onions would be amazing with this but again, substitutes had to be made during quarantine and charred green onions worked beautifully. Chris also suggests using russet potatoes. Do as you see fit.