Yam it up!

I got a couple big, fat, gorgeous yams in my CSA box this week.  I roasted one with red onion, butternut squash, baby bliss potatoes, fresh rosemary and a drizzle of olive oil....nice.  But the second one got a little more special attention...Sweet Yam Gnocchi with Coconut Curry Sauce.

I've made gnocchi with russet potatoes and sweet potatoes before, so why not yams?  The color is rich and beautiful, and swims in my favorite coconut curry sauce full of warming, healthy spices...and best of all, it's a no-cook sauce.

First order of business is to bake the potatoes at 425degrees for about 45-55 minutes until you can easily pierce into it with a fork.  When they are cool enough to handle, scoop out the pulp into a large bowl.  You can use a ricer or potato masher (I still use my grandmother's old-fashioned masher...makes me remember why I love cooking).

Add ricotta (the secret weapon to fluffy gnocchi), cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic, salt & pepper.  Mix it up well...

... then start to add the flour 1/2 cup at a time, until you have a "soft dough".  This takes practice...too much flour and the dough is gummy; too little and it doesn't hold up.  You're looking for that fine line when it moves from sticky to perfect.  Remember, go slowly with the flour - it's my cooking mantra "you can always add, but you can't take away."

Separate the dough into about 5 or 6 balls and roll each of them out on a floured board into a rope about the thickness of your thumb (unless you're a real little person).  Cut each rope into 1 inch pieces and roll each piece over the tines of a fork to get those tell-tale gnocchi marks...

I've always boiled my gnocchi in a big ol' pot of salted water - your pot need to give any kind of pasta lots of room to bounce around, and your water "should taste like the sea", as my good friend Denis taught me.  When they are ready, they will float to the top - doesn't get much easier than that!  Takes about 3-5 minutes.

The other night I was reading a bunch of blogs and found one where they were talking about pan frying gnocchi.  I'm in!  Put a little bit of olive oil to just cover the bottom of the skillet, get it gooooood and hot (it needs to sizzle when you add the gnocchi or it will just soak up the oil, and that's gross).  Pan fry it for about 5 minutes total, turning to crisp up each side. You'll know when it's ready to flip by the the sound -  you'll defintiely know it when you hear it.

I think this is my new fave way to fix gnocchi!  The outside is crisp and the inside is perfectly moist.  Either way you decide to go, this is a delish recipe.  Add whatever pasta sauce floats your boat, but please do yourself a favor and try this coconut curry sauce, courtesy of my friend Beck.  If you don't have as well-stocked a spice cabinet as I do, you can omit one or two spices (turmeric, for example, is not a big staple for most people) and probably get a pretty tasty sauce nonetheless....
This recipe makes a pretty big batch, so go for it and freeze the gnocchi in 1 i nch pieces for another day.  No need to even defrost them if you're going to boil them.  How much easier can I make it????

Sweet Yam Gnocchi

Serves 6-8

2 pounds yams (sweet potatoes or russet potatoes work, too) 

2/3 cup whole milk ricotta

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 clove minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1-1 1/4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour, plus 1/3 cup for the work surface

·         Preheat the oven to 425°

·         Pierce the sweet potato with a fork. Bake until tender and fully cooked, 40- 55 minutes.

·          Cool slightly. Cut in half and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Mash the sweet potatoes.

·         Transfer the mashed sweet potatoes back to the large bowl. Add the ricotta, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic and pepper, blending until well mixed.

·         Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time until a soft dough forms.

·         Lightly flour a work surface and place the dough in a ball on the work surface. Divide the dough into 6 equal balls. Roll out each ball into a 1-inch wide rope.

·         Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces. Roll the gnocchi over the tines of a fork. Transfer the formed gnocchi to a large baking sheet. Continue with the remaining gnocchi.

To boil gnocchi:

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the gnocchi in batches and cook until gnocchi float to the top, about 3- 5 minutes. Drain the gnocchi using a slotted spoon and keep warm while you continue cooking the remaining gnocchi.

To pan fry gnocchi:

Heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.   When oil is hot, add gnocchi in a single layer, working in batches, turning to crisp each side, approximately 5 minutes total.

Coconut Curry Sauce

½  cup coconut milk

½  teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½  teaspoon turmeric

pinch cayenne

3 tablespoon lime juice

3 scallions, greens only, thinly sliced or ¼ cup chopped chives

Whisk all ingredients, except scallions, in a bowl.  When gnocchi is ready to serve, toss with coconut curry sauce and top with scallions.