Featuring Emiko & Marco of Enoteca Marilu.
GNOCCHI WITH TALEGGIO, HAZELNUT & BLACK TRUFFLE
You can also make this (and it is still delicious) without the black truffle but as we live in San Miniato, a town known for its truffles, we could not come without one!
Serves 8
• 1 kg of starchy potatoes
• 100 gr potato starch or flour, or as much as necessary
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp salt For the sauce:
• 125 gr butter
• Taleggio 750 gr
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) aquavite, grappa or similar
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) milk
• 2 golf ball-sized black truffles
• Handful of hazelnuts, finely chopped
For the gnocchi: Rinse and pat dry the potatoes but leave them whole, skins on. It helps for cooking time if they are roughly of similar sizes. Place them in a pot of cold water and bring to the boil and cook until a fork easily pierces the potatoes. Alternatively, you can also bake these for about an hour at 180ºC or until soft. Note that if boiling you made me slightly more starch than if baking. Let them cool ever so slightly so they are warm but can be handled and remove the skin with a small sharp knife. Place the potato flesh in a large tray and mash for a smooth, fluffy consistency. Add the egg and mix into the potato until combined along with the salt and starch until you have a soft dough. Roll sections of dough into a 1cm thick log, then cut the log into 1cm small pieces and roll each one until round and even like a cherry. Continue until you have used up all the dough. For the sauce, melt the butter and cheese together directly in a large, wide pan. When melted, add the grappa, turn to high heat, and let the alcohol evaporate for a minute or so, then add the milk, along with a splash of water, and grate in one of the truffles so that it will infuse the sauce. Continue cooking on low heat for another minute or until the sauce has a nice, smooth consistency. Cook the gnocchi in simmering, well-salted water for a few minutes. Drain and distribute among the plates, then pour over a ladle of the sauce and top with more finely grated truffle and hazelnuts. Serve immediately.
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