On day two with Flora in Croatia we embarked on a mammoth gnocchi-making session (in Croatian NJOKI). Traditionally these dumplings are the accompaniment to pašticada, a typical Dalmatian beef stew made with Croatian desert wine, prunes for sweetness and cloves and nutmeg for spice. Flora’s gnocchi are particularly elegant, their detailing created with a quick roll across the back of a cheese grater. Their textured nature ensures they pick up all the gravy. Flora advocated lots of parmesan to finish. We made a vegetarian version with crispy fried sage leaves from the garden and extra butter (and more parmesan).
Feeds 6–8
Takes 2 hours
Ingredients:
1kg floury potatoes, evenly sized (Désirée potatoes work well)
250g plain flour
3 generous tbsp semolina
1 large egg, beaten
70g butter
zest of 1 lemon, grated (to taste)
250g plain flour
3 generous tbsp semolina
1 large egg, beaten
pinch grated nutmeg
Method
Wash the potatoes and boil them whole, with the skin on, in a large pan of boiling salted water for about 20 minutes, depending on size, until they are just soft. There should still be a little resistance when you push a sharp knife into the middle. The main thing with gnocchi is that you don’t want your potatoes to absorb too much water.
Drain them, peel while still hot (hold them in a tea towel to peel to protect your hands).
Push the flesh through a fine-mesh sieve with a spoon (or put through a potato ricer as Flora does!) into a large mixing bowl, ensuring they are lump- free. It's important to make the dough while the potatoes are still hot, or you risk making your gnocchi chewy, so work quickly.
Make a well in the middle of the mashed potato and add the butter, lemon zest, nutmeg and some salt to taste.
Sift the flour and fold it in gradually, with the semolina and beaten egg. Knead well, adding more flour, if needed, to make a light dough that does not stick to your fingers.
Taking a large handful of the dough at a time, shape and roll each one with your hands on a floured surface to form a thin sausage.
Cut each sausage into 4cm pieces and use your palm to roll them into balls. You can leave them as they are, or to make the surface textured, roll each ball lightly across the back of a flat grater – done skilfully this produces an interesting patter of lines and surface rippling, which helps them to pick up the sauces they’re served with. Repeat until you’ve used up all the dough.
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Drop the gnocchi into the water in batches. When they’re done they’ll rise to the top of the water and can be lifted out with a slotted spoon. Serve with the sauce of your dreams and freshly grated parmesan.
