Homemade Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage
Baked floury potatoes riced while hot and mixed with just enough flour to make a soft dough, shaped into ridged gnocchi, boiled until they float and tossed in brown butter with crisp sage and Parmigiano.
Ingredients
Gnocchi
- 1 kg (2 ¼ lb) floury potatoes (russet, Idaho, Maris Piper or King Edward), similar in size
- 150–200 g (1 ¼–1 ⅔ cups) "00" or plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 large egg yolk (optional)
- 1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt
- semolina or extra flour, for the tray
- 1 ½ tbsp (about 27 g) fine sea salt, for 5 litres (5 quarts) cooking water
Brown butter and sage sauce
- 60 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 12 fresh sage leaves
- 40 g (about ½ cup) finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus extra to serve
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F, gas mark 6). Prick the potatoes and bake directly on the rack for 50–70 minutes, until a thin knife slides in with no resistance.
- While hot, scoop out or peel the flesh and pass it through a ricer or food mill onto a work surface. Spread it out and leave 10–15 minutes until just warm and no longer steaming.
- Weigh the potato (about 750–800 g / 1 ⅔–1 ¾ lb) and plan on flour equal to 20–25% of its weight.
- Sprinkle over the salt, add the yolk if using and about three-quarters of the flour. Cut and fold together with a bench scraper, press into a ball and knead gently for 30 seconds until smooth and only slightly tacky, adding more flour only if needed.
- Bring 5 litres (5 quarts) water to a boil with the salt. Cook one test gnocco; if it falls apart, knead in 1 tbsp more flour and test again.
- Divide the dough into 4, roll into 2 cm (¾ in) ropes on a lightly floured surface, and cut into 2 cm (¾ in) pieces. Roll over a fork or gnocchi board if you like.
- Spread on a semolina-dusted tray in a single layer.
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat with the sage, swirling, for 3–4 minutes until nutty and light brown and the sage is crisp.
- Boil the gnocchi in 2–3 batches. When they float, after about 1 ½–2 minutes, cook 30–60 seconds more, then lift into the butter with 2–3 tbsp cooking water.
- Toss gently until glossy. Off the heat, add the Parmigiano and pepper, and serve.
Notes
- Avoid waxy or new potatoes. Yukon Gold works but needs more flour.
- If boiling instead of baking, cook the potatoes whole and unpeeled from cold salted water for 25–35 minutes, then peel and rice hot.
- Never use a food processor or blender; it turns the potato gluey.
- Freeze uncooked gnocchi on the tray until hard (about 1 hour), then bag for up to 2 months. Cook from frozen in smaller batches, allowing 1–2 minutes longer.
- Make ahead: boil, toss with olive oil, cool and refrigerate up to 24 hours, then pan-fry in butter.
- Leftovers: fridge up to 2 days; pan-fry until hot and crisp.