Potato Gnocchi with Prawns, Sage and Burnt Butter
Do you ever feel like yelling “STOP!”?
Time to myself has been scarce for a number of months. There was moving house, holidays with the family, preparing the other house to be sold… Then, for the last month or so it’s been the new job. Working crazy hours has been tiring but I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it. I’m interested, challenged and motivated all at the same time. But getting home late has been taking it’s toll and things get neglected. Bills forget to be paid, clothes remained piled up waiting to be washed, friends wonder why I’ve stopped calling, cooking less, blogging declined, visiting blogs I love at a standstill…
And then last weekend I found sometime on my hands and it felt strange. I thought it would be a welcome change to sit infront of the TV and watch reruns but the funny thing is that it took the whole of five minutes for me to get the urge to do something else. So this gnocchi was the result of that weekend impulse – I decided to pick up Maggie Beer’s cookbook, “Maggie’s Kitchen”. I’ve had this book for a few months already and had never cooked from it. It was a late discovery but an important one. I found myself thinking “Yes, yes I’ll make this!” as I flipped through the book’s pages.
Of all the dishes, that day, the potato gnocchi dish stood out. I like how Maggie recalled how she went through three or four techniques before finding her preferred method – don’t you love it when they do all the experimenting for you? So thanks to Maggie Beer – here is the best gnocchi I’ve tried – crispy on the outside but delightfully delicate inside.
It isn’t hard to make gnocchi – just remember these simple tips to a perfect gnocchi:
- Use waxy potatoes
- Steam (not boil) the potatoes
- Use a potato ricer (instead of masher/fork)
- Only add enough flour to bring the potato dough together, there is no need to add everything in the recipe
- Use a pastry scrapper to bring the dough together and handle the dough as little as possible
The dish is made with a burnt butter and sage sauce, topped with pan fried prawns. Instead of roasting the gnocchi and sage, I have pan fried mine but I have also added a link to Maggie Beer’s original recipe below. Either way you choose to follow – this will be delicious!
Potato Gnocchi with Prawns, Sage and Burnt Butter
Maggie Beer’s Potato Gnocchi with Prawns
Adapted From Maggie’s Kitchen (Original recipe can be found here)
- 750 grams nicola or other waxy potatoes, scrubbed (I used kipfler)
- 2 free range eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 125 grams plain flour
- 50 ml olive oil for frying
- 100 grams cold unsalted butter, chopped into small pieces
- 80 ml verjuice (I used good quality balsamic vinegar)
- 40 sage leaves
- extra virgin olive oil for cooking
- 12 raw king prawns, peeled, cleaned, tails intact
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Steam unpeeled potatoes for 30 minutes or until cooked through but not falling apart. Set aside until just cool enough to handle and then peel the potatoes. Pass the potatoes through a ricer in a bowl and then add the eggs and salt. Place the flour on a work surface and spread the potato mixture on top. Working quickly, use a pastry scraper until it comes together for form a dough. You may not need to use all the flour on the surface, stop incorporating the flour when the dough is smooth and does not feel sticky to the touch. Handle the dough as little as possible to ensure a light gnocchi.
- Divide the dough in quarters and shape each quarter into a long sausage, around 15 cm in length. Cut off 1.5 cm pieces and gently press the tops with the back of a fork tine or gnocchi maker.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and and a hand full of salt. Add the gnocchi and cook until they float to the surface (it shouldn’t take very long, around 30 seconds). Drain well.
- Heat the olive oil and half the butter in a frying pan and pan fry the gnocchi, just until golden and place in a serving plate. Pan fry the prawns and place over the gnocchi.
- Wipe the frying pan clean and add the remaining butter. When the butter starts to smell nutty and brown, remove from the heat and add the sage leaves. Fry off for a few seconds until crisp then add the balsamic vinegar. Pour over the prawns and gnocchi. Serve warm.
Note: Gnocchi can be made ahead of time, shaped and frozen. If cooking from frozen there is no need to thaw – just drop in boiling water. When they rise to the surface they’re done.
Trissalicious 
Did I mention how good it looks? Thanks for great recipes. You’re a professional.
Beautiful gnocchi! Next time I will try steaming my potatoes.
I’ve tried making gnocchi before and it turned out horrible and since then never attempted to try again, but your pic…Trissa, those gnocchi looks so light and airy and its telling me to make it=)
That looks delicious! I have her book too and have yet to cook anything from it. I love watching the cook and the chef too and can’t believe she doesn’t like chilli! I think I need to get me some verjuice before I start cooking anything from the book though.
This looks gorgeous Trissa!
Oh Trissa I’ve been needing to yell STOP for a few months now. I’m only staying sane from the knowledge that April will be not-quite-so-exhaustingly-busy. I wish I had some of this gnocchi to assist in my sanity keeping as well. That fried exterior is gorgeous.
Gnocchi and Prawns It “looks very tasty” I will give it try!
Thanks for sharing the recipe you make it so easy.
Keep up the good work on such a mouth watering site!
Thanks,
Simply stunning, how do you do it time and time again? I am trying pasta making for the first time today, maybe gnocchi next?
I’m doing a give away on my blog for $80 Amazon gift card :), do stop over and enter!
*kisses* HH
I can’t help staring at your photo – it’s like a work of art!
eeek – Love Maggie and this looks great. Glad you found time to rustle it up Trissa.
Good luck with everything Trissa. yeah, I have been there too. very tiring 😦
But on the up side, this is wonderful! Your gnocchi dish sounds of perfection.
What a super recipe, Trissa. Love the sage and the brown butter/balsamic “gravy”! Gnocchi is one of my favorite dinners…
Gnocchi. Yet another thing I have yet to try homemade. I’m sure this was incredibly delicious!
I’ve neither had gnocchi, but you make them absolutely irresistible!
Ok… I need to make some gnocchi!
Looks totally awesome. You should post it on http://www.tasteimonials.com too. They are new and don’t deny your submissions for lighting or composition. Check it out. They’re great. be part of the start up.
Great tips on making delicious gnocchi. Thank you so much for your blogging while you’re still busy in a tight schedule.
Remember to take more rest, Trissa.
The burnt butter and sage is such a classic combination and Maggie Beer rocks. I’m trying not to get yet another gadget into my tiny kitchen so I’m going to try using a drum sieve instead. Thanks for sharing the recipe Trissa.
At first I thought there was beer in the gnocchi, and I couldn’t figure out how that would work … HA. I’ve got it now! These look wonderful. We don’t have a ricer, so we use a food mill and really like that option. You must have a gnocchi board to have those perfectly spaced ridges all along the sides. Anyway, I love the combination of gnocchi, sage, browned butter, balsamic and shrimp — never would have thought that up on my own!
Cheers,
*Heather*
I am not very good in sitting still I have to confess. Yes we do watch endless tv shows but that counts as doing something… right? I love your gnocchi! Apart from ricotta gnocchi and potato gnocchi ones while we were in Italy I have not attempted to make these myself but this looks delicious.
I’m glad you found something to entertain yourself – even if it wasn’t exactly what you thought it would be 😀
Yummy! I’ve never had gnocchi besides the stuff that I make myself, but based on the tips you provided… I think I’ve been making them wrong 😛
That looks great. I love how you cooked the gnocchi.
Thanks for the tips on making gnocchi – mine taste good, but their texture could be better. Yours look perfect, as usual 🙂
Have you tried making gnocci in the Thermomix? I’m just wondering what your results were if you have – mine didn’t work too well, but I’d never made it before so it could’ve just been me…
Your gnocchi looks so appetising, nothing beats home made & fresh pasta.
It seems like we all have gnocchi on the brain! My previous attempts at potato gnocchi were not the best! I love this recipe and the point about steaming potatoes makes sense. Thank you…