Creole Cream Cheese Idaho® Potato Gnocchi with Crawfish
Source:
Tory McPhail
Formerly of - Commander’s Palace
New Orleans
Yield: 4 servings as a first course
Ingredients:
Idaho Potato Gnocchi
- 1 Idaho® Russet Potato, large
- 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour, plus additional for work surface and dough
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoon Creole cream cheese*
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper, ground
- 2 egg yolks, large
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Crawfish Sauce
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons shallots, minced
- 8 oz Louisiana crawfish tails, cooked
- 2 oz tasso, minced
- 2 oz chanterelle mushrooms, torn into pieces
- 1/4 teaspoon Creole seasoning
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon Creole cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon truffle oil
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh tarragon
Directions:
Idaho Potato Gnocchi
- In a medium saucepan cover the whole potato with salted cold water. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat, cook until tender. Drain. Hold the boiled potato in your hand with a kitchen towel and peel away only the skin with a knife. Run the potato in a ricer or a food mill. Combine potatoes with flour, butter, Creole cream cheese, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Stir with a rubber spatula for about 15 seconds until smooth and the flour is completely incorporated. Add the egg yolks and stir for 15 seconds more, being careful not to overwork the dough. Turn out the dough onto a floured work surface and cut it into 8 portions. Working with one portion at a time, and rolling your hands back and forth outward from the center to the ends, roll the dough into a long thin strand, about 1/2-inch in diameter. Cut each dough strand into 1/2-inch pieces and sprinkle the tops lightly with flour. (Add as little flour as possible to prevent sticking.) Lift gnocchi from the work surface using the edge of a large knife or bench scraper and transfer on a baking sheet.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi to the water while stirring. Cook, undisturbed, for 3 to 3 1/2 minutes, until the gnocchi start to float. Remove with a slotted spoon or strainer and place in an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain the gnocchi, transfer to a large bowl, and toss with oil. Gnocchi can be made up to 1 day ahead, covered, and chilled or frozen. If you are making it ahead, toss the gnocchi with extra vegetable oil to prevent sticking.
Crawfish Sauce
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat about 1 minute.
- Add the butter and shallots and cook about 30 seconds until shallots are wilted.
- Add the crawfish, tasso, mushrooms, and Creole seasoning and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
- Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer.
- Add the gnocchi and cook for 2 minutes, until gnocchi are hot and sauce is thickened slightly.
- Stir in the Creole cream cheese, truffle oil, and tarragon and cook for 30 seconds.
- Adjust seasoning as necessary.