Traditional gnocchi is a brilliant Italian invention that is basically baby dumplings made with potatoes and flour and while it is amazing in that form, I wanted to mix it up a little. I replaced the potatoes with yams and made three separate batches with three separate gluten-free flours (I do not recommend trying this unless you are prepared to get flour all over your kitchen and your person).
First I tried quinoa flour and considering its high price point I was not overly impressed. It did have the best texture, creating a soft but firm end product but in the end it just tasted too much like quinoa and had a slight bitterness to it. Next I used a blended gluten-free all purpose flour (Bob’s Red Mill brand) and the texture was a little bit spongy but it has a really light and subtle taste that complemented the yams rather than overpowering them. Finally I tried using coconut flour, my arch nemesis. I do love the softness and delicate sweetness of coconut flour but I find that it usually makes the end product crumbly. In this case the gnocchi completely broke apart when it was in the boiling water, after a couple minutes it just looked like grainy soup- so that one was definitely a fail. All in all, the one I would choose to use again is the all purpose flour so I made the recipe below to accommodate that but any flour can be used and added bit by bit until the dough is cohesive, smooth and firm- similar to bread dough but without the gluten it will not have the elasticity. The quinoa flour version used less flour to get to the right consistency and the coconut flour used even less.
Gnocchi has a bit of a rustic charm to it and the pieces can therefore be a bit misshapen, they definitely do not have to be uniform. It is very easy to make but it is a bit of a process requiring a few different pots. The preparation time can be cut shorter if the yams are cooked in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to a few days. Once the gnocchi are formed and before they are boiled they can even be frozen, thus it is possible to make large batches and have them stored away to be used as needed.
- 1 - 1½ lbs chorizo sausage (4-6 large links)
- 4 cups yams, peeled and diced (will make 2 cups once cooked and puréed)
- 2½ cups all purpose gluten-free flour
- 1 egg
- 1 pinch salt
- ¾ cup pesto
- 1 bell pepper, julienned
- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes, julienned
- fresh basil thinly sliced to sprinkle on top as desired
- If the chorizo is raw cook it according to package instructions or in the oven on 350° for 20-25 minutes and set aside until cool enough to slice into thin pieces.
- For the gnocchi, prepare a double broiler over the stove and once the water is fully boiling add the yams to the top basket and leave to steam for 10-15 minutes, until they are fully cooked and soft all the way through. Remove the yams from the heat, place them in a large bowl and use a hand held blender or potato masher to mash them until there are no small pieces left and set aside for around 5 minutes to cool. If the base of the double broiler is large enough that it can be used to boil the gnocchi leave it boiling away on the stove, if not set up another large pot, around three quarters full of water and bring to a boil.
- Now stir in the flour, egg and salt to the mashed yams and mix until it forms a dough. If it is still a bit too moist and sticky fold in more flour a tablespoon or two at a time as needed. Once the dough is at a firm consistency separate it into four quarters and roll each piece out into a thin long strip on a floured surface so that it ends up being lightly coated with flour on all sides. Then slice the dough into ½ inch pieces. At this point you can roll each little piece along a fork to create grooves for the sauce to accumulate in or roll them into little logs or simply leave them as they are. Place the gnocchi in the boiling water for 3-5 minutes, once they rise to the surface use a large slotted spoon to remove them from the pot.
- Now place the sliced chorizo and gnocchi in a large skillet or wok on the stove heated over medium high heat and sautée for 5-8 minutes, until they are slightly browned. Now stir in the pesto, peppers and tomatoes and leave for another minute or two, until the sauce thins out and the vegetables soften.
