Dumplings made with potatoes. A typical northern Italy dish. In Verona, Carnival last Friday is called Venerdì gnocolar', gnocchi's Friday, led by the most important Veronese mask: Papà de' Gnoco: Gnocchi's Dad.
The penultimate emperor of Austria, Franz Joseph and his consort's Christmas trip to Venice in 1856 was steeped in gloom. First, in order to have a proper Christmas tree in Venice, the couple had been forced to have it sent straight from the botanical garden. Next, they decided it would have be a good idea to go to Verona, headquarters of Italian army during Austrian occupation of Veneto. Unfortunately, Verona too, proved to be the scene of an unpleasant incident. Their stay took place during Venerdì gnocolar'. The royal couple had to dine on a potato-based dish unsuited to their dignity.
In previous decades, gnocchi made the Verona way had undergone an extraordinary, negative change. The sovereigns' dignity, would have been better defended had the gnocco continued to be what Teofilo Folengo described at the start of the sixteenth century, something that rolled down a mountain of grated cheese becoming as large as a pot-bellied barrel. Importantly, the rolling gnocco witnessed by Folengo was made of flour. From Folego's time, the typical product of Verona had suffered the effects of the introduction of the potato in Europe. Much as ancient rulers had kept the shape and silver colour of coins, all the while filling them with copper, the established state of industrial capitalism had found the potato to be more economical replacement for flour. On the outside the product looked the same, however, its instrinsic value was much lower, even if this was justified by a population whose growth outmatched that of its resources.
Having changed in substance, the gnocco had become a sort of residual emotion, an intuition of a form shaped by grater. Yet, in truth, this is the fate of many traditional products. They are traditional because they have been around for a long time, and this means they are able to change and evolve with the times.
Ingredients (4 people):
Potatoes: 900g
Flour: 300g
One egg
Salt
For the sauce:
Butter: 40g
Sage: 3 leaves
Parmigiano or Grana Padano cheese
Let's get started:
In a big pot, boil the potatoes with their skin in salted water until they are tender all the way through but not falling apart (a toothpick passes all the way through with some resistance). 20 minutes should be enough but it depends on potatoes type. It is important that they are not overcooked.
While still hot, peel the potatoes and smash them. In Italy there's a specific tool to smash potatoes for gnocchi.
If you smash them too much gnocchi will get too hard, if they aren't smashed enough gnocchi might dissolve when you boil them. Don't use a food processor, it will turn potatoes into glue!
Add the flour and the egg to smashed potatoes and mix everything gently with a wooden spoon. Be careful not to overwork the dough, it should be soft and supple. Stirring or working the dough too much will cause the gnocchi to get sticky and you'll loose gnocchi typical texture. The humidity of potatoes can vary depending on potatoes type, so you might want to adjust the amount of flour you use. Divide the dough into 5 or 8 equal pieces.
Roll each piece into a rope about 2 or 3cm in
diameter and 20 - 30 cm long.
Cut each "snake" into regular pieces
about 2 - 3cm long. Continue until all the dough has been rolled and
cut.
Roll each gnocco (yes, that's the singular of
gnocchi) over the large holes of a cheese grater or along the tines of
a fork to impress the soft dough with a pattern.
Put the finished gnocchi on a thin layer of flour and leave them to dry for a while.
Boil water in a big pot and add some water.
When you put gnocchi in boiling water, at first they sink on the bottom of the pot, when they rise to the surface they are ready. Remove them with a skimmer and put in a hot bowl. Have the sauce prepared in advance.
In a fry pan melt the butter and add the sage leaves. When they take a nice golden color the sauce is ready. Add it to the gnocchi in a big bowl, and add some parmigiano cheese.
You can eat gnocchi with a wide variety of sauces: tomato, cheese, etc.
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