Seared Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Roasted Tomato-Basil Cream
Sweet potato gnocchi are served with tiny tomatoes and English peas on a roasted tomato cream sauce. Maytag bleu cheese and basil pile on more flavor. Chef Petersen emphasizes that fresh basil should be added at the end of cooking, whereas dried basil should be added up front and cooked into the dish. If you decide to use dried basil to make the sauce, add it with the garlic cloves. The chef also specifies using sweet potatoes, not yams, which will not work.
Ingredients
- Gnocchi
- Sweet Potatoes (not yams) - 2 pounds
- Eggs - 2, whole
- Egg Yolks - 2
- Unsalted Butter - 3 tablespoons
- All-Purpose Flour - 1-1/2 cup
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Roasted Tomato-Basil Cream
- Unsalted Clarified Butter - 3 tablespoons
- Shallots - 3, chopped
- Garlic Cloves - 6, chopped
- Vegetable Stock - 3 cups
- Roma Tomatoes - 2 cups, roasted, roughly chopped
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 3 cups
- Basil - 6 tablespoons chopped
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Canola oil - 1 cup, for deep frying
- Leek - 1, white part only, julienned
- Unsalted Clarified Butter - 2 to 3 tablespoons
- Leek - 1, white part only, chopped
- Tomatoes - 3 cups small round (currant)
- English peas - 3 cups
- Maytag bleu cheese - 1 cup
- Basil Sprigs - 12
Instructions
To prepare the gnocchi: Clean the potatoes, prick each in a few places, and place in the oven. Turn the oven to 375 F and roast 45 to 50 minutes, until soft when squeezed. Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle. Peel and place the potato in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Combine the potatoes, eggs, yolks, and butter. Add the flour in three additions, beating until combined between each addition. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and chill one hour.
To prepare the sauce: Heat the butter in a large saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Saute the shallots and garlic in the butter until they have softened. Add the vegetable stock and scrape up any bits stuck to the pan. Cook until the liquid has reduced by half in volume. Add the tomatoes and cream and cook until reduced by one third. Put in a blender and place a folded towel on top; hold the top down firmly. Jog the blender a few times to begin breaking up the mixture, then puree and strain. (The hot liquid could splash out if you turned on the machine all at once and did not hold the top down.) Add the basil and adjust seasoning. Set aside and keep warm.
To prepare the leek: Heat the oil to 370 F in a deep fryer or deep saucepan. Pat the leek julienne dry. Flash-fry the julienne in batches, 15 to 20 seconds per batch, letting the oil return to temperature between each batch. Drain on paper towels.
To finish the gnocchi: On a lightly floured work surface, pat out the dough into an oval about 1-1/4 inches thick. Cut across into make 6 thick strips, each containing about the same amount of dough. One at a time, roll each strip into a log and cut into 12 to 15 1-1/2-inch segments. Pick up a segment, press your thumb into one side, and press against a box grater, then gently roll the gnocchi down the back of a grater, letting it curve around your thumb as you press downwards. This creates the gnocchi shape and adds texture.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Lower the heat until the water is simmering. Drop the gnocchi into the water; when they float, simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon, drain the liquid, and transfer the gnocchi to the prepared casserole dish. Do not try to cook all the gnocchi at once; shape and cook in batches, and do not crowd the pot. Drain the gnocchi and spread out on a towel.
To serve: Heat the clarified butter in a medium saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat and cook the gnocchi and leeks until warmed through. Stir in the tomatoes, and peas. Pool each plate with Roasted Tomato-Basil Cream. Arrange 6 to 8 gnocchi in a radial pattern in the sauce. Sprinkle with crumbled bleu cheese. Garnish with flash-fried leeks and a basil sprig.
