Stringy Potato Gnocchi, Gnocchi di Patata alla Bava: The word bava actually means drool, of the stringy kind produced by some dogs. However, in this case we're referring to the stringiness of the cheese sauce, not the reaction of the diners to hearing what's on the menu. The recipe is one of the newer creations from the Valle D'Aosta, and has become extremely popular. The recipe will serve 4:
Prep Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 pound (500 g) mealy potatoes
- About 1 1/4 cups (150 g) flour
- A cup (250 ml) milk
- 2/3 pound (300 g) fontina
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- Salt, and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Preparation:
Boil the potatoes in their skins in lightly salted water until a skewer transfixes them easily. Peel them and rice them.
When the puree has cooled enough to be workable, knead enough flour into it to obtain a dough that's soft, but doesn't stick to your hands. Roll the dough out into finger-thick snakes and cut them into one-inch (2 1/2 cm) lengths, making a dimple in each with the ball of your thumb while pressing against the backs of the gnocchi with the tines of a fork to give the gnocchi their traditional shape. Put the gnocchi on a floured cloth and let them dry for a couple of hours.
Meanwhile, dice or slice the fontina and heat it over a low flame with the milk, stirring gently, until it has melted. Season the cream with a pinch of nutmeg and a grind of the peppermill.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the gnocchi, and skim them off the top with a strainer as soon as they rise to the surface, transferring them to a bowl. Carefully stir most of the sauce into the gnocchi, then ladle them into bowls, and spoon the remaining sauce over them.
As a variation, you can brown your gnocchi: Layer them in an oven, with thin slices of fontina and dots of butter between the layers (this gets very cheesy), and brown them in a hot (200 C, 400 F) oven for about 5 minutes.
When the puree has cooled enough to be workable, knead enough flour into it to obtain a dough that's soft, but doesn't stick to your hands. Roll the dough out into finger-thick snakes and cut them into one-inch (2 1/2 cm) lengths, making a dimple in each with the ball of your thumb while pressing against the backs of the gnocchi with the tines of a fork to give the gnocchi their traditional shape. Put the gnocchi on a floured cloth and let them dry for a couple of hours.
Meanwhile, dice or slice the fontina and heat it over a low flame with the milk, stirring gently, until it has melted. Season the cream with a pinch of nutmeg and a grind of the peppermill.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the gnocchi, and skim them off the top with a strainer as soon as they rise to the surface, transferring them to a bowl. Carefully stir most of the sauce into the gnocchi, then ladle them into bowls, and spoon the remaining sauce over them.
As a variation, you can brown your gnocchi: Layer them in an oven, with thin slices of fontina and dots of butter between the layers (this gets very cheesy), and brown them in a hot (200 C, 400 F) oven for about 5 minutes.
