Baked gnocchi with fontina and ham

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 200 g floury potatoes
• 50 g wheat flour type 550 , a little more if needed
• 3 g salt
• 1 pinch of nutmeg powder
• 1 small egg yolk, if needed
• 30 g unsalted butter
• 60 g cheese (Fontina or other mountain cheese), sliced
• n. B. smoked ham, diced
• e.g. tomato slices
• n. B. Dill tips, fresh
• n. B. Basil leaves, fresh

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

A special Venetian side dish, with gnocchi that melt in your mouth.

Wash the potatoes and boil them in their skins until tender. Drain and let cool. Peel them while still warm and press them through a potato ricer. Knead them with the remaining dough ingredients until smooth, ideally by hand. Do not overknead! Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Depending on the flour’s ability to expand, you may need to add a little more flour or egg yolk (see note). Divide the dough into 2 portions and roll each portion out on a floured surface into a finger-thick log. Cut the logs into pieces approximately 2 cm long. Place each piece on a fork and press down lightly to create the typical gnocchi shape with its notches. Grease an ovenproof serving dish with half the butter. Melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan. Preheat the oven to 250°C (top/bottom heat). Add the gnocchi in batches to plenty of simmering salted water. Stir gently after 3 minutes. Wait until the finished gnocchi float to the top. Lift them out in portions with a slotted spoon, drain well, and place in the serving dish. Drizzle with a little of the melted butter and top with cheese slices. Fill the dish in layers until all the gnocchi are used. Finish with a layer of cheese and sprinkle with the ham pieces. Bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes. Garnish the finished gnocchi and serve warm as a side dish. Note: To make the gnocchi as tender as possible, avoid using more than 25% of the potato weight (pressed through). If the dough is too runny to roll out, fill it into a piping bag (triangular) with a suitable nozzle and pipe it directly into the simmering water. Use scissors to cut the gnocchi directly at the nozzle. A tall pot is better for this, as it prevents the gnocchi from sticking to the bottom. The salted water should be simmering. Only press enough dough into the water to ensure this. Don’t make the portions too large. Kneading the dough releases a gluten from the potatoes, which makes the dough sticky and runny. So work gently and briefly. Only add the egg yolk when the dough is dry and crumbly.