Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Adding sweet potatoes to a gnocchi recipe makes it a little easier for the home cook to pull off, because sweet potatoes have less starch than potatoes, and a high starch content can make gnocchi dense and tough. The combination of sage and sweet potatoes is one for the ages.
4 medium sweet potatoes (about 4 1/2 lbs)
4 medium Yukon gold potatoes (about 4 lbs)
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
2 extra-large eggs, beaten
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
12 fried sage leaves (see tip)
Tip: There is such a thing as "tough herbs" or winter herbs, like sage or rosemary. These hearty herbs that keep growing well after the first snowfall can handle being fried—the result is crispy and delicious. In a small frying pan heat 1/2 cup of canola oil until hot but not smoking. Add herbs and cook until crispy, about 30 seconds, and remove from oil using tongs. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel and use as needed.
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Place sweet potatoes and potatoes on a baking sheet and roast until soft, about 2 hours. Let cool slightly, then cut in half and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. (This should yield about 5 lbs of roasted potato mixture.)
Add flour, salt and pepper to the potato mixture and mix together until smooth. Make a well in the centre and pour in eggs. Using a fork and starting in the centre of the mixture, incorporate eggs into mixture.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until a soft, slightly sticky, spongy dough forms, being careful not to work dough too much. Shape into a ball and place on a lightly floured cutting board. Cut ball into 8 pieces and cover with a clean tea towel. Dust a baking sheet with flour.
On a lightly floured surface, working with one piece of dough at a time and keeping the rest covered, roll each piece into a 20-inch rope, about 1/2 inch thick. Cut rope into 1-inch lengths. Using your thumb, roll each piece of dough over the back of the tines of a floured fork, leaving an indention from your thumb on one side and the markings from the fork on the other. Place gnocchi on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. (Make ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day, or freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month.)
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Plunge half the gnocchi into the boiling water. Once they float to the surface, cook for 1 minute longer. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a baking sheet or plate and continue cooking the remaining gnocchi. Drizzle with oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan and fried sage leaves.
Serves 6 as a main course.
Excerpted from Earth to Table by Jeff Crump and Bettina Schormann. Copyright © 2009 by Jeff Crump and Bettina Schormann. Photographs Copyright © 2009 by Edward Pond. Excerpted by permission of Random House Canada, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
