Chef Nick Nappi

Sweet Potato Gnocchi w/ Maple Cinnamon Sage Brown Butter

Posted on November 12, 2015     Leave a Comment

Prep time – 90 minutes

Cook time – 30 minutes

 

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

2 large sweet potatoes

2 egg yolks (no whites)

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch salt

pinch pepper

roughly 1 cup of flour + 1/3 cup for your work surface (just sprinkle all over to avoid sticking)

 

Maple Cinnamon Brown Butter

1 stick unsalted butter

15-20 sage leaves

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tbsp of cinnamon

heavy pinch of salt

heavy pinch of black pepper

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

 

Using a fork, pierce the potatoes all over, wrap in tinfoil and place in oven.  Bake for 45 mins – 1 hour depending on the size of your potatoes.

**Nicky Gnocchi Tip – Only let the potatoes cool SLIGHTLY!  This will ensure a soft and airy gnocchi.**

Sprinkle 1/3 cup additional flour on your work surface.  Remove potatoes from oven and peel tinfoil carefully – potatoes will be HOT! Once tinfoil is removed, peel skin from potatoes and discard.

**Nicky Gnocchi Tip – The best gnocchi is done with a ricer.  No question, without a doubt the ONLY way to make sure your potatoes are the smoothest they can possibly be is with a ricer**  (If you don’t have a ricer, mash the potatoes as best you can)

Rice potatoes into a large mixing bowl and add the parmesan cheese, cinnamon, 2 egg yolks, salt, pepper and gradually add flour until a you have a soft dough.

On your lightly floured work surface, divide the dough into 6 equal pieces.  Using the palm of your hand to your finger tips, roll the dough with light pressure until dough becomes 1″ thick ropes…or “gnocchi cigars”  Using a dough scraper (if you don’t have a dough scraper, a pizza cutter works great).  Cut rope into 1″ pieces and place on lightly floured wax paper and set to the side.  Repeat for all ropes.

Bring a large pot of water to a soft boil.

In small workable batches (5-8 pieces) drop gnocchi into lightly boiling water for no longer than 2 minutes or until gnocchi begins to float.  Remove with slotted spoon and place gnocchi on clean wax paper.  Repeat until all gnocchi

 

 

are boiled.

Bring a separate saucepan to medium heat.  Add 1 stick of butter and allow to melt and cook down.  Bubbles will occur, don’t freak out!  This is what you want.  When the butter has melted completely, add all sage leaves.  Lightly stir occasionally until the butter begins to lightly brown.  Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon, maple syrup and salt/pepper and set saucepan to the side.

Put a large pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO).

When pan is ALMOST smoking, add half of your cooked gnocchi to the pan for 1-2 minutes…you want a nice sear on your gnocchi for max flavor!  Flip gnocchi for even sear on both sides.  Add the other half of your gnocchi to the pan and the brown butter mixture.  Lightly toss gnocchi over low heat in butter mixture coating all sides for 1-2 minutes.

Serve gnocchi with a little freshly grated parmesan cheese and enjoy!