Idaho® Potato Gnocchi with Clam Chowder
Source:
Rick Tramonto
Osteria di Tramonto, Tramonto’s Steak & Seafood, RT Lounge, Tru
Chicago, IL
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- Gnocchi
- 2 Idaho® Potatoes
- 1 lb, 2 oz all-purpose flour
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 oz olive oil
- 1/2 oz melted butter
- To taste kosher salt
- To taste fresh-cracked black pepper
- To taste pinch fresh nutmeg
- Clam Chowder
- 1 Idaho® Potato, peeled, medium dice
- 3/4 cup smoked bacon, medium dice
- 3/4 cup celery, medium dice
- 3/4 cup carrot, medium dice
- 3/4 cup onion, medium dice
- 2 cups clam broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 thyme sprigs
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 24 Manila clams
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 1/2 cup potato gnocchi, par cooked
- 2 tablespoons chives, chopped
- To taste kosher salt
- To taste fresh-cracked black pepper
Directions:
Gnocchi
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake the potatoes on a bed of salt until tender. Remove the potatoes from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
- Split the potatoes and remove the flesh. Pass through a food mill into a metal mixing bowl.
- Add the egg, butter, olive oil, nutmeg, pinch of salt, and a little black pepper and mix. Add the flour and fold in just until incorporated.
- Roll the dough out to 3/4-inch dowels. Cut 3/4-inch pieces and place on a floured sheet tray.
- Bring 2 gallons of water to a rolling boil, add 2 tablespoons kosher salt and gently drop half the gnocchi into the water. Stir immediately so the gnocchi does not settle and stick on the bottom of the pot. Once the gnocchi floats, about 1 1/2 minutes, remove and place in an ice water bath. Toss them in olive oil and cool until needed. Repeat with the other half.
Chowder
- Warm a heavy bottom sauce pot over medium heat. Begin by rendering the bacon, not making it crispy, just releasing some of the fat. Remove the bacon, leaving the fat in the pan.
- Add the onion, carrot and celery. Sweat just until tender. Remove the veggies and combine with the bacon. The vegetables should be tender, but not cooked all the way through. Add the clam broth to the pan with the bay leaf, thyme and diced potato. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat until the potato is tender. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Remove the thyme and bay leaf and discard.
- Place the potatoes and half of the liquid into a blender and puree until smooth. Add the puree back to the remaining liquid, and reserve everything for service.
To Plate
- Heat a small pan over high heat and, once heated through, add the clams along with the white wine and cover. After 2 minutes add the bacon and veggies. Once the clams are opened (there should be no wine left in the pan), add the soup base and the gnocchi. Check for seasoning. Once heated through, arrange six clams in the center of a bowl and pour the soup around the clams.
- Garnish with chives and fresh-cracked black pepper.