POTATO GNOCCHI DOUGH
❚ 900 g (about 2 lb) potatoes (I use half Idaho and half Yukon Gold)
❚ 250 g (2 1/2 cups) rye flour, plus more for dusting
❚ 3 eggs, beaten
❚ 175 g (1 1/2 cups) finely grated Parmigiano-reggiano
❚ 25 g (1 1/2 tbsp) sea salt
❚ Semolina (see note), for dusting
1. Place the potatoes in a medium pot and cover with cold water. Salt the water and bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, 40 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Drain the potatoes and peel them while they are still hot. Pass the potatoes through a ricer and then press them directly onto a work surface. Distribute 2 cups of the flour, eggs and cheese evenly over the potatoes and season with the salt. With a bench scraper, cut the ingredients just until they come together. If the dough seems too wet, add the remaining flour, 2 tablespoons at a time. ( You may not need all the flour.) Knead the dough with your hands until the flour and egg are incorporated, about 15 seconds.
3. With a bench scraper, cut off a 150-gram (5-oz) piece of dough, keeping the remaining dough covered with a clean kitchen towel. Working from the centre outward on a surface lightly dusted with rye flour, roll the dough to form a 1 1/2-inch-thick cord; then cut the cord into equal bite-size pieces. Dust with semolina and set aside on a platter. Repeat with the remaining dough. The gnocchi will keep, uncovered, for 2 days in the refrigerator or, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to a month in the freezer.
4. To cook the gnocchi, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Salt the water. When the salt has dissolved, add the gnocchi in batches and cook until they float, about 3 minutes.
Drain and set them aside on a plate. Serve with your choice of sauce (brown butter follows).
Serves: 6 to 8
Note: Semolina is a coarse grind of durum wheat that is often used for dusting peels or kitchen towels used to wrap pasta dough.