Gluten Free Gnocchi with Brown Butter Emulsion + Sage

Photos by Knoxy

Gluten Free Gnocchi with Brown Butter Emulsion

I struggled to make my gnocchi gluten free for some time but after I made these for my son Leo, who also happens to be my harshest critic, he exclaimed, “Oh, mommy, these are my new favorite!”

I couldn’t help but laugh because the solution I was looking for happened so serendipitously. I went to bed the night before trying to figure out what I was going to do with my left over mashed potatoes and as I drifted off, I saw a flash of my grandmother making gnocchi, so I awoke the next morning– early and put the mashed potatoes to the test. Like Leo said, they are my new favorite. I served mine with a simple brown butter emulsion with plenty of Parmesan and sage, but you can serve these with whatever sauce you like. For the colder months, I like to spoon a hearty beef ragu over them that I then gratine in the broiler with plenty of Gruyere.

Gnocchi

1 ¼ lbs. day old mashed potatoes (recipe below)
½ cup tapioca flour
2 tablespoons millet flour
1 tablespoon guar gum
2 egg yolks
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
kosher salt to taste

for the mashed potatoes:

4 medium sized Yukon gold potatoes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons cultured butter
¼ – ½ cup 2% milk
salt to taste

Peel and cube your potatoes and then bring them to a boil in a 4 quart pan with the salt. Boil until fork tender. Drain the potatoes and then return them to the pot. Add the butter and 1/4 cup of the milk and mash until there are no longer any lumps. Add more milk if necessary. The potatoes should be very thick. Salt to taste. Refrigerate overnight in a glass bowl covered with cellophane.

The next day, in a 9 x 13 sheet pan, flatten the mashed potatoes with a fork, spreading them out evenly. Mash in the yolks and the pepper. Whisk flours together in a separate bowl. In tablespoon increments, sprinkle the flour over the potatoes and work in with the fork. By the third addition, you should be kneading the dough by hand. Season the dough to taste with salt.

Dust the counter with more flour and knead the dough to smooth and is not sticking whatsoever. You will have left over flour, so reserve for another batch. Divide the dough into fourths and then roll into ropes about a foot long (12”) and ½ inch wide. Cut each rope into equal sized segments and then roll each segment into a ball. Press each ball in with your thumb. Repeat until all the gnocchi are formed. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Using a spatula, carefully lower the gnocchi into the water. Boil for 7-8 minutes and the gnocchi are puffed up and tender.

If not cooking right away, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 1 day before using. Freeze in an airtight container for up to three weeks.

Brown Butter Emulsion:

1 stick of salted butter
½ cup water
freshly grated Parmesan
fresh sage for garnish

Melt the butter in a saucepan. The moment you can no longer see any milk fats, begin swirling the pan over the flame to brown the butter. The moment you see brown flecks over the bottom of the pan, swirl for 30 seconds longer, add the water and remove from the heat. Blend with a wand mixer until emulsified. Pour over gnocchi and serve with Parmesan and fresh sage.

Serves 4