BROWN BUTTER
By Chef K. Marie Paulk
Believe it or not, the hardest part of writing about food is picking the topic. I usually go through old articles, recipes, and my binders. My collection of seven binders holds valuable information that I compiled while I was in culinary school. Whenever I search my sea of information, I always promise myself I am going to spend more time compiling the new information into even more binders. So, where is this leading? I have settled on telling you about a jewel of a subject and recipe. When I rediscovered this recipe, I instantly thought of fall: Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Fried Sage and Shaved Chestnuts.
Gnocchi is not difficult, but it may take some practice and patience. The results are worth it, especially since this recipe uses my favorite: brown butter. Brown butter is like making caramel, taking one ingredient (butter, instead of sugar) and transforming it into a more complex flavor. The reason that I think of fall with this recipe is that it uses sweet potatoes and the dough reminded me of little pumpkins.
Gnocchi (nyoh-kee) is considered a dumpling that can be boiled, baked, or fried. Gnocchi is made from a mixture of potatoes, potato flour, and/or wheat flour. Its form is about the size of a thimble, and it is usually given a special shape by rolling the dough against a fork or the back of a grater. A specialized tool could be used, but I prefer using a fork.
Throughout Italy, you will find many versions: fried and leavened dough, meatball shaped dumplings (made with wild greens and ricotta cheese), or porridge made from semolina enriched with butter and cheese, cut into disks and browned in a broiler. Different types of gnocchi include savory gnocchi, sweet gnocchi, gnocchi to be eaten simply as an appetizer, and more. Gnocchi takes on regional names; for instance, in Campania, they go by the name strangolapreti (aka “priest stranglers”). In Tuscany, it is made with spinach dough and called strozzapreti. Naples uses a conventional potato mixture called strangulaprievete. In Mantua, gnocchi di zucca is made from pumpkin using a little wheat flour to help bind it. I personally love the variety and their rich history.
Despite the differences, all gnocchi are composed of a principal ingredient: the potato and the simple seasoning. Baking the potatoes produces light gnocchi, plus you want to use a starchy potato, like a russet. Avoid using low-starch, waxy potatoes because they will turn “gluey” when added to flour, which will make the gnocchi thick and not light and fluffy, as they should be. I have learned that boiling the potato with their skin on, draining them in a colander and letting them dry in their own steam yields the best results. Letting the boiled potatoes dry on their own makes for fluffy, starchy mashed potatoes, which makes it easier to incorporate into the flour to help create a light gnocchi dough. Cooked potatoes should be fed through a ricer or food mill. A food processor should never be used, as it will turn the potato into a “gluey” mess.
You only want to knead the dough until it is blended with the flour (it should feel slightly firm but a little sticky). Just remember to not overwork the dough since too much kneading strengthens the gluten in the flour producing tough gnocchi. The amount of flour you use is crucial, so don’t add all the flour at once––it is easy to add more but almost impossible to take it out. The dough should feel soft, pliable, and slightly sticky. Adding too much flour makes for heavy gnocchi; while adding too little means they will fall apart when you boil them.
Once your dough is formed, you will quarter it and roll it into rope-like lengths. The dough will become firm enough to allow for scoring, which will allow them to hold their shape. Don’t worry about using a liberal amount of flour on your workspace; any flour that sticks to the gnocchi will dissolve into the boiling water rather than being incorporated into the dough. When you roll the dumpling over a fork, doing that will give the gnocchi their shape. This step is important, not just for the look of the gnocchi, but also for their flavor. The valleys and cavities trap the sauce, which adds to the flavor.
Brown sage butter is a simple sauce. To make burro nocciola, as it is known in Italian, you brown whole butter to a deep amber, with darker flecks of slightly caramelized butter. You will see a tiny bit of smoke; however, if you get a lot of black smoke, you have gone too far.
It will only take about three minutes for the gnocchi to cook in a pot of salted boiling water. They will float to the top. Take them out with a slotted spoon, transferring them to the skillet of brown butter.
So here it is, a simple recipe full of autumn flavors:
1 ¼ russet potatoes
1 (3/4 lb.) sweet potato
1 large egg
½ tsp. grated nutmeg
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano plus more for serving
1 ½ to 2 cups for AP flour
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup sage leaves
1/3 cup bottles roasted chestnuts
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
So, enjoy as I plan to! And remember that practice makes for fluffy gnocchi.
