# Making Gnocchi Part 1



## Darkstream (Dec 17, 2004)

Gnocchi lit. “ a lump”. A form of dumpling, generally associated with northern Italy,
showing it’s Teutonic heritage and the Austrian domination of that area for centuries.

In fact, there are in reality two forms of gnocchi, the commonly known dumpling
variety, which can be as indegistible a form of stomach ordnance as Norfolk
Dumplings or any other kind of dumpling to come from the Anglo-Saxon races
(wherever geographically located), and secondly a much earlier form which is a form
of reheated/twice cooked starch pudding made since Roman times.

In this first part I shall deal with traditional Italian gnocchi (non Teutonic), which is
very much easier to make, and astonishingly good. (Especially for those who need
complex carbohydrates. You know who you are, at least half of you).

Basic Recipe

20 fl oz milk

4-6 oz semolina (you may know this as cream of wheat, or by some other name)

3 oz parmesan

2 eggs s&p, nutmeg

Boil the milk and season, pour in the semolina, stir and cook until the spoon will
stand up in it. Do not let it catch or burn on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat
and stir in cheese and eggs. Pour onto a cold plate wetted/damp with water and
smooth with a wet knife to a uniform thickness of 1/4 inch.

Allow to cool/chill. When cold, cut into 1 1/2 inch rounds with a wine glass etc. and
layer in a baking dish with the slices overlapping eachother (the scraps can go on the
bottom layer or be chopped up). Pour butter over the top, brown in the oven, add
parmesan or heavier cheese and melt and serve.

You can vary it by adding ham or chese to the mix, using stock ilo milk, etc.

You can spread the layers with pesto, cream cheese/ricotta pesto, or layer with fresh
tomatoes&mozarella.

But this dish will take a substantial sauce, and you can use an ordinary meat sugo (but
NOT Bolognese).

But it is best with the veal sauce previously given.

It sounds stodgy. But if you have done it right you will find that it is extremely light,
and generally better than the more well known kind.






Some time later, Columbus discovered the Americas, and Italy started growing maize.
This ground dried grain came to be known as polenta.

You can make a polenta gnocchi which is identical to the above method, simply
substituting for the above ratios one pound of polenta (fine cornmeal) to six cups of
water plus salt to taste.

You can cut it out with a wine glass, or scoop slivers with a large spoon. Serve with
butter and sage, or a rich bechemal chese sauce with fontina and grappa, or use it like
lasagne with beef ragu and Italian pork sausage (a very sustaining winter dish). Also
good with game.

In the mountainous north, a final variation consists of covering the gnochi with egg
and breadcrumbs and frying in olive oil till golden, served with a rich white sauce.
Very filling.






Next time, small caliber Italian stomach ordnance, and how to avoid it.


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## Audeo (Dec 18, 2004)

Ah, dear Darkstream!  A special thanks for the holiday gift inherent in this post!!!

I've been waiting for this thread...!!!

Cut them with a wine glass!  I just knew the gnocci boards were unnecessary!  This just went on the menu for sometime this weekend.


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