Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Sauce

Gnocchi
600 grams sweet potatoes (about 3 medium)
2 tsp water
1/2 tsp salt

1 egg yolk
1- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Unrefined sea salt (fine)
freshly grated nutmeg

Sauce
2 tbsp butter
1 to 1-1/2 cups heavy cream
4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese (about 120 grams)
unrefined sea salt, to taste
freshly ground white pepper

To start the gnocchi, preheat your oven to 400º degrees Fahrenheit. Place the potatoes onto a sheet of foil, add the salt and water, and wrap. Bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until cooked through.

Peel the potatoes while they are still hot. Cut and rice the potatoes, making sure they don’t pile up in one spot. Let the potatoes cool completely before proceeding.

To make the dough, sprinkle the potatoes with a good amount of flour. Aerate the potatoes with a bench scraper, and then add the salt, nutmeg and white pepper.

Break up the egg yolks and pour them over the potatoes. Cover the surface again with more flour. Continue to cut and gently lift the dough.

Test the dough by squeezing it gently in your hand. It shouldn’t stick. Add a bit more flour, if needed.

Once done, shape the dough into a rectangle and fold it a few times, using your fingertips to bring it together. Flatten the dough out until it is about the thickness of your finger. Sprinkle with flour and let rest about 5 to 10 minutes.

Cut strips of dough, about the width of your finger, and sprinkle with flour so they don’t stick to each other. Roll out each strip and cut the ropes into 3/4 - inch pieces. Separate them slightly, and flour them well, so they don’t stick together.

For a more rustic look, you can leave the gnocchi as is. Shaping the dough makes them look better, and also creates a little pocket to capture the sauce. This can be done with or without a gnocchi paddle.

Once done, sprinkle with flour and cover with a clean dry cloth. Fresh gnocchi can sit at room temperature for 4 to 5 hours before cooking.

To cook the gnocchi, bring a pot of water to a gentle simmer and add the salt. Then, add the gnocchi and gently stir to make sure they’re not sticking to the bottom of the pot. While the gnocchi is cooking, prepare the sauce.

To prepare the sauce, remove the rind from the blue cheese and cut into cubes. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add the butter. When the butter is melted add the cream and the cheese and cook until the cheese has melted and the cream has thickened slightly. Season with salt to taste.

To serve the dish, lift out the gnocchis from the water as soon as they float to the top. Allow the excess water to drain and gently add them to the sauce. Gently toss the mixture in the pan until they are coated

Spoon onto 4 individual bowls and serve immediately. Gnocchi waits for no one so dive in.

Notes:
  • Sometimes I make my gnocchi first before measuring them by weight. I allow 150 to 200 grams of gnocchi per person depending on the other components of the meal. I find that it's easier that way instead of measuring how much ingredients you need to make a batch of gnocchi. But it's just my personal opinion. At the restaurant where I used to work in Vancouver, I have a colleague named Bruce who just gathers the potatoes and makes the gnocchi before weighing them per serving. You can do the same. :) So, for this dish, I used about 150 grams of gnocchi with 1/3 cup of heavy cream and about 25 grams of cheese
  • If cream is to heavy and filling for you, substitute with whole milk. (no skim or non-fat, please).
  • You can also finish dish this with some grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
  • You can also finish dish this with some grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
  • Gnocchi cools down quickly. You can place individual bowls in a preheated oven at the lowest setting to keep your bowls warm.