Directions
Heat a pot of well salted water until boiling. Peel and quarter the potatoes and toss in the water. Boil for 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are easily skewered. Remove and set aside to cool.
Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer. You should have about 2 cups. In a large bowl, make a mound of potatoes with a well in the middle. Add the egg yolks, the mascarpone, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix in the potatoes with your hands. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the flour over the potatoes and gently mix it in. You want to use an extremely gentle touch here, as the more you work the dough, the tougher and gummier it’ll get. Sprinkle on more flour, little by little, folding and pressing the dough until it just holds together. Pat the dough into a large ball and cut into 4 pieces.
On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of dough into a rope about 1/2-inch in diameter. Cut into 1/2-inch-long pieces. Lightly flour the gnocchi as you cut them, set aside on wax paper, and for the love of God do not place one on top of the other. This creates a big, depressing mess. Allow the gnocchi to dry out for about 30 minutes while you get a pot of well salted water boiling.
For the sauce, combine the white wine, 2 tablespoons of thyme and lemon juice in a saucepan over high heat and reduce to 2 tablespoons. Add the cream to the reduction and once the liquid bubbles, reduce the heat to low. Add the butter, one cube at a time, whisking first on the heat and then off the heat. Continue whisking butter into the reduction until the mixture is fully emulsified and thickened. Season with salt and white pepper.
Pop the gnocchi in the boiling water, and cook for about 90 seconds, or until they bob up to the top. Give them about 10 seconds of bobbing at the top, so they cook through. With a slotted spoon transfer the gnocchi to a bowl, top with some of the beurre blanc, and chopped thyme. Enjoy!
Roasted Garlic and Yam Gnocchi in a Spicy Tomato, Spinach, and Shrimp Sauce
Pass the yams through a ricer, and the garlic through a garlic press. You should have about 2 cups. In a large bowl, make a mound of yams and garlic with a well in the middle. Add the egg yolks, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and mix everything together with your hands. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the flour over the potatoes and gently mix it in. You want to use an extremely gentle touch here, as the more you work the dough, the tougher and gummier it’ll get. Sprinkle on more flour, little by little, folding and pressing the dough until it just holds together. Pat the dough into a large ball and cut into 4 pieces.
On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of dough into a rope about 1/2-inch in diameter. Cut into 1/2-inch-long pieces. Lightly flour the gnocchi as you cut them, set aside on wax paper, and for the love of God do not place one on top of the other. This creates a big, depressing mess. Allow the gnocchi to dry out for about 30 minutes while you get a pot of well salted water boiling.
For the sauce:
In a large saucepan heat the 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add the fennel, onion, oregano and crushed red pepper and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened, about 15 minutes. Stir in the wine and bring to a boil, cooking until evaporated for about 20 minutes. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and strips of lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20 minutes. If the broth is over reduced (you want about an inch of liquid for the shrimp to cook in) add the cup of water. Remove and discard the lemon zest. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and add the cherry tomatoes, spinach and basil, stirring to combine. Next add the shrimp, cover and cook until just pink and firm.
Now, pop the gnocchi in the boiling water, and cook for about 90 seconds, or until they bob up to the top. Give them about 10 seconds of bobbing at the top, so they cook through. With a slotted spoon transfer the gnocchi to a bowl, top with the sauce and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!
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