Gnocchi with Crispy Sage and Brown Butter

With a note on the eternally chic potato.

Since potatoes are practically the only thing (can we call it a vegetable?) truly in season right now, they can always be found sprouting and softening on my countertop. In whatever shape they come, they are always ready to be turned into perfect little pillows of gnocchi. If you are not experienced with pasta making, gnocchi is the perfect place to start. It does not require a pasta maker and dare I say, it’s almost foolproof.

The thing about gnocchi, and perhaps even the potato in general, is that it doesn’t have to look good to taste good. Winter vegetables are ruddy and hardened by the winter, but hold something sweeter and softer within. Robyn Sarahs reflects on this in her poem, “Echoes in November” .

…a stub
of vegetable not destined
for the pot,
and faintly tasting
at the back of the palate
the ghost of a rose
in the core of the carrot.

The ghost of a rose! Isn’t that a beautiful way to think about a carrot. Likewise, the potato is so much more than meets the eye… Potatoes have seen kingdom’s rise and fall, they’ve caused and they’ve cured famine. Potatoes were so chic in France during the late 18th century that Marie Antoinette even wore potato flowers in her hair. Potatoes also never go out of style when it comes to cuisine - Laila Gohar, possibly the world’s leading culture cook, recently hosted a potato party.

So let’s have our own little potato party - shall we?

Now for the recipe…

Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Fried Sage

The thing about anything, but especially gnocchi, is that the first time you make it, it may feel a little daunting. There are few ingredients, but quite a few steps. But have confidence, try again, and you’ll swiftly become an expert.

The way you’ll roll and shape the dough is eerily similar to some of the shapes I made with play-dough as a child. So fear not, the muscle memory will return.

This recipe serves 4.

INGREDIENTS

2 large floury potatoes (around 600 grams of potato once peeled and mashed)

300 grams of white flour (around 2 1/2 cups)

1 Tbsp Kosher Salt

2 eggs

1/4 cup Salted Butter

Olive Oil

Sage leaves

METHOD

Making Your Dough

Boil the potatoes in salted water until you can stick a fork in them without resistance. Save the water for boiling your gnocchi later. Peel and mash the potatoes with a fork. Try to do this while the potatoes are still hot – the steam keeps the dough light. Don’t worry about the lumps unless you’re a perfectionist, in which case you’ll already be worrying.

Pile your mashed potatoes on the countertop and make a hole in the middle to dump your flour, salt, and eggs. Break up the eggs with the same fork you used to mash the potatoes. Use your hands to knead the dough until it all comes together into a smooth-ish ball. It should spring back a little if you press it with your thumb.

Cover with a cloth and let rest.

Browning Your Butter

Melt the butter in a large skillet (preferably non-stick unless you’re confident) and watch it carefully. First, it will bubble up as the water evaporates and then the solids will sink to the bottom – you’ll notice a nutty scent. Once the bubbles reduce and the butter looks brown, pour the browned butter out of the pan into a bowl.

Cover the bottom of the same skillet with olive oil and heat over medium-high. Pick all the sage leaves off the stem and lay the largest ones down in the hot oil, setting the smaller leaves aside. The water in the leaves will evaporate and make a lovely little popping noise. Once the leaves darken in colour, take them out of the oil and place them on some paper towel so they remain crisp. Take the skillet off the heat.

Bringing It All Together

Let’s return to the dough. Cut the ball of dough into slices and use some flour to roll each slice out into a nice rotund log. Cut each log into bite sized pieces. Voila! You just made gnocchi.

Bring your potato water back up to a boil and plop in your gnocchi in in two batches. They are done when they float. Turn the heat on your skillet back up to medium-high and fry the gnocchi in the sage infused olive oil, flipping once so they are browned on either side. Pour the browned butter back over the gnocchi and sprinkle in the remaining sage leaves.

Top the gnocchi with the crispy sage leaves and some parmesan. Enjoy with people you love.

As always, thanks for reading.

xo

Charlie