It seems like an odd recipe to be in Mastering The Art of French Cooking, but there it is potato gnocchi.
Basically you cook potatoes, and mash them while making a pate a choux (the dough used to make cream puffs) and then combine them. They are light and fluffy-just perfect. Because of New Year’s resolutions, I used whole wheat all-purpose flour but I have made them with regular flour which works just fine. The whole wheat flour made them tan color but still delicious. I also changed the method for cooking the potatoes. Julia Child has you cut them and boil them until tender, drain, mash, and return to heat to evaporate any remaining water. I decided to bake mine instead.
Potato Gnocchi
potatoes
3-4 potatoes
Preheat oven to 400F. Clean and pierce potatoes. Bake for 45-60 min. Split open potatoes and scoop out the insides. Mash.
pate a choux
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of pepper
pinch of nutmeg
1/4 + 2 tsp all purpose flour
Bring water, butter, and seasonings to a boil slowly. Once the butter melts, remove the pan from heat and immediately add all the flour at once. Beat the mixture to blend thoroughly. Beat over moderate heat for 1-2 minutes until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a mass.
gnocchi
1 lb mashed potatoes
1 cup pate choux
1/3 cup Gruyere cheese + more to serve
Beat pate a choux and cheese into the potatoes. Take spoonfuls of the mixture and roll it to form cylinders.
Slip the gnocchi into simmering (not boiling-they will disintegrate). Poach them for a few minutes until the gnocchi float. Gently lift gnocchi out of pot with slotted spoon and drain on rack or towel.
Preheat oven to 350. Bake on parchment or silicon lined pan for 10 minutes or until heated through. Serve with grated Gruyere.
Oh my goodness! I have been wanting to make gnocchi since forever. The pate a choux does sound a little intimidating, but I love your recipe and instructions (and inspiration).
I think pate a choux seems intimidating but it was much easier than I thought it would be.
Does the addition of cheese make this French?
YUM
I don’t know but there is butter so that might make it count as French 🙂
Wow, I have made gnocchi with potatoes and with choux pastry, but never combined them. What a great idea. Thanks!
The pastry dough makes them very light.
Hi Sara .. 🙂
We’re on the same page this week with the gnocchi and roast chicken! I was just looking at Julia’s recipe too! That’s interesting that you baked them after boiling them, I just came across another recipe where you sautee them.
Cheers !