Can I make gnocci ahead?

[ThePinkOne]

If I make it today and put it in the fridge for tomorrow would I be best kneading it then putting it in the fridge and kneading again before shaping and cooking tomorrow or will it be ok to shape and just cook tomorrow.

Never made it before!!

[ThePinkOne]

Oh dear! No gnocchi experts on tonight!?

[DamonBradleylovesPippi]

My mum makes them. I have made them once. They were always made them and ate them ifkwim.
However I am going to take a guess and say that you just make them today (knead and shape) and put in the fridge, covered with a cloth. Take them out a bit before cooking so they are not fridge-cold and cook.

But it's a guess. Good luck and let me know I might make them myself again one day (they taste better).

[ThePinkOne]

Thanks I'll give it a go and let you know!

[thisisyesterday]

yes i would knead and shape and then cook it tomorrow,

[MrsMuddle]

Apologies if this is obvious, but you need to lay them out on a tray in the fridge so that they're not touching each other.

Good luck - I've given up trying to make it. I've done it twice and they tasted like slugs.

[DamonBradleylovesPippi]

Yes that is a true and good point MrsMuddle. Apparently it's all in the type of potatoes you use (should not be the watery type ) - maybe those good for mash? But yes the home made ones are more sludgy than the bought ones.

[ThePinkOne]

Mmmm. I just threw them in a bag whilst thinking 'I really should be laying these out on cling film' but I didn't have room in the fridge for a tray!!

Might have to reshape!

They do taste slightly like slugs (just cooked a couple!) aren't you just meant to mask that with sauce?! This recipe says to use waxy new potatoes which is what I had in but I saw another one using egg and floury potatoes. I might try that another time. I'll report back!

[minervaitalica]

Hello! I am an Italian married to a gnocchi loving Brit so I should be able to answer this with some authority .

First, NEVER use new potatoes for gnocchi - it never works out right somehow as you need to use extra flour to make it stick together, so it can end up tasting like slugs (which can, of course, be masked by very thick cheesy gorgonzola and mascarpone sauce ). Standard British cheap baking potatoes work best in my experience - I never bothered with fancy Maris Pipers or whatever they are called for gnocchi.

You can make the dough in advance, but the mixture tends to go a bit sticky in the fridge if you do not cook them straightaway, and may be quite difficult to disentangle and knead the day after. What I do is I cook the gnocchi as soon as I have made the dough, cool them immediately in cold water, and put them on a tray lined with some baking paper and semolina or polenta flour. Stick them in the fridge. The day after you simply warm them up in boiling water and serve.

Apologies if this advice comes too late though... May be next time?

[DamonBradleylovesPippi]

minervaitalica that is sound advice.

My mum always used to say you nee floury potatoes, not watery. Not sure which are which tbh. But from now on will always use what MI sys.

[DamonBradleylovesPippi]

says, even.

[ThePinkOne]

Well, I took it out of the fridge and it was soup!! I had to add loads more flour to make it shapeable again. And it took me ages longer than if I'd just made the mashed potato last night and added the flour today (but obviously didn't know that last night!)

It was a bit of a disaster really but the dc and I ate it anyway and DH spent the last couple of hours scraping dough off the worktop!

So next time I will try baking potatoes and either make and stash as per MI's instructions or make the mash and add the flour on the day.

MI can I also ask what your recipe is? The one I used was just flour and potato but I saw another with egg in and it suggested floury potatoes.

Thanks for all the advice

[minervaitalica]

Yes - do add an egg next time - it is much harder to make gnocchi without that. I normally just need one medium egg if I am making gnocchi for 4 (however, if the potatoes are really dry perhaps a bit less).

The dough should not stick to your hands when you shape the gnocchi, but should not be too elastic either (which normally happens when you use too much flour). When raw, the gnocchi should retain the shape you give them and not "flop".

I hope I am helping you and not confusing you further...

[HopeForTheBestExpectTheWorst]

I always use floury potatoes, which I boil and then let cool completely before mixing with flour and an egg. And I get superb results by using what is here (in Germany) called "Weizendunst" flour, which apparantly translates as course grain wheat flour...um, I guess that would be semolina flour? Anyway, the stuff you'd use to make pasta with, rather than bread.

I always boil them briefly immediately after making and then store (in fridge) until I need them, when I usually fry them in butter, rather than boiling again. We like them to be slightly crispy on the outside, and I find frying them helps stop them clumping together too.
Nothing slug-like about them whatsoever!

Oh, and I don't knead the dough at all - it's more a case of gently mixing it all together until it forms a dough, and then making long sausage shapes out of it and cutting and shaping (with fork) the individual gnocchi on a generously floured board. I think over-kneading might lead to slug-like gnocchi...

Um, I've gone on a bit, haven't I?
It's just that after years of not being able to make gnocchi, I finally cracked it and make lovely gnocchi now, which I am always slightly giddy about because a)they taste fabulous, b)they are piss cheap to make, whereas buying good quality gnocchi is rather expensive and c)it brings out my inner Italian Mamma Mia

Oh, what the hell, I've written so much now I may as well post the recipe I use too :

? 600 - 700g floury potatoes
? 200 ? 250g white flour
? salt

Peel and boil the potatoes until soft. Allow to cool slightly, then push through ricer. Add salt.
Mix in egg and approx. 200g of flour to form a soft dough. Add more flour if necessary ? it should not be sticky.

Put on a large pan of water to boil.

Divide dough into 3 or 4 pieces. Roll our each piece into a long rope, about 1 ½ cm thick. Slice into 1cm pieces. With a fork (dipped in flour to stop it sticking), flip each piece onto its side and press an indentation into the cut surface which is now facing up. Lay out on a lightly floured tray.
When water is boiling, add half the gnocchi (or whatever amount fits in the pan ? should not double up on the bottom), stir gently so they don?t stick to the bottom, and boil for about 5 minutes until they have all risen to the top.
Scoop out with a slotted spoon, drain and set aside until ready to eat.
Fry in a little oil or butter until lightly browned and crispy on the outside.