068 / 75 · Make the Most of What Is Left
Mashed-Potato Gnocchi with Buttered Peas
About 60 small gnocchi with peas; one-third of the complete batch per serving · Active 35 min · Total 50 min
Print recipe · PDFPlain mashed potato can become small, tender gnocchi with a little egg and flour. The potato needs to be cold and fairly dry before mixing; a loose buttery mash is a different ingredient. These gnocchi are kept simple with peas and measured butter, so there is no extra sauce to make. The complete batch divides into three supper bowls.
Cold mash is only the starting point
Use plain cooked potato that was mashed without milk, butter or gravy. Floury potatoes usually make a drier mash than waxy ones, but the real test is how the cold potato feels. It should hold a mound without leaving a wet ring on the plate. Break up any hard lumps before adding egg, because kneading them out later develops a tougher dough. This recipe is not suitable for a mixed bowl of seasoned roast-dinner leftovers. The ingredients inside that bowl would change both the moisture and the flavor.
Let a test gnoccho guide the flour
Mix most of the measured flour in gently and keep the last small portion available while shaping. The dough needs to hold a log, but it should remain soft. Boil one test piece before cutting the whole batch. If it breaks apart, add a little of the reserved flour and try again. If it holds, stop adding flour merely because some remains on the board. Chasing a perfectly dry, nonsticky dough is a common route to dense dumplings. A lightly floured surface and gentle hands solve more than extra kneading does.
Keep the pieces small and the boiling calm
Cut the logs into short pillows of similar size. Fork ridges are optional decoration, not a requirement for a successful meal. Lower a batch into water that is gently boiling and leave enough room for the pieces to rise. Floating is a useful cue, but the center still needs a short additional cook so the egg and flour set. Lift with a slotted spoon rather than tipping a heavy pan of water over them. Toss carefully with the hot peas and butter, using a little cooking water only if needed to loosen the coating.
Ingredients
- About 2 cups cold plain mashed floury potatoes, made without milk or butter (500 g)
- 1 large egg (50 g without shell), beaten
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (150 g), divided as needed for the dough
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (16 g), for the work surface
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g), for the dough
- 2 quarts water (1.9 liters), for boiling
- 1 teaspoon fine salt (6 g), for the boiling water
- 2 cups frozen peas (280 g)
- 2 tablespoons butter (28 g)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (0.5 g)
Set out
Large mixing bowl, Fork or potato masher, Large saucepan, Small saucepan, Slotted spoon, Knife or dough scraper, Food thermometer
Allergens
Egg, Milk, Wheat. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Break up the cold plain potato in the bowl. Mix gently with the egg, 120 g of the dough flour and the 1.5 g salt. Bring together without prolonged kneading. Keep the remaining 30 g dough flour nearby.
- Bring the measured boiling water and 6 g salt to a gentle boil. Pinch off a small dough piece and poach it. If it breaks apart, work another tablespoon of the reserved flour into the dough and test again. Use only enough to hold the shape.
- Dust the work surface with the separate 16 g flour. Divide dough into 4 pieces and roll each into a log about 3/4 inch/2 cm thick. Cut into short 1-inch/2.5 cm pillows, about 60 pieces total.
- Cook the peas in the small saucepan according to their packet directions, then drain. Keep hot with the butter and pepper.
- Poach gnocchi in 3 batches. When they float, cook for a further 1–2 minutes, until set inside and the thickest test piece reaches 165°F/74°C, since the potato is being reheated. Lift with the slotted spoon, drain briefly and gently toss with the peas and butter. Divide the entire batch among three bowls.
Plan plain mash before adding extras
If setting aside potato from another meal, reserve the measured plain portion before stirring butter or milk into the rest. Label the cooking date and chill promptly; do not leave it on the stove while the main meal is eaten.
Ingredient labels
Milk is present in the butter; the specified starting mash contains no milk or butter.
A useful detail
The 50-minute total starts with cold, plain cooked mash. If making mash specifically, cook peeled floury potatoes until tender, drain thoroughly, steam-dry and mash without additions, then weigh 500 g. Cool promptly in a shallow container and refrigerate until cold; allow that separate cooking and cooling time before starting.
Another way
- Replace the peas with the same weight of frozen mixed peas and carrots, cooked according to the packet.
- For browned edges, drain the cooked gnocchi and pan-fry briefly in the measured butter before adding the cooked peas. Work in batches so the gnocchi do not steam in a heap.
Keep it well
Use plain mash cooled promptly, kept at 40°F/4°C or below and cooked no more than 2 days earlier. Keep the egg dough cold if interrupted and cook it the same day. This recipe reheats the potato; eat the cooked gnocchi promptly rather than beginning a new storage period. Unused flour from the work surface that touched egg dough must not be returned to the flour bag.