Gnocchi And Shallots

Gnocchi And Shallots

Ingredients:
4 pounds russet (baking) potatoes
12 large shallots, peeled and quartered
½ cup olive oil
4 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon salt

Directions:
2 ¼ to 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
3 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated (about ¾ cup)
1. To make the harissa: Stem and seed the pasillas, then tear them into large pieces.
Cover with boiling water in a large bowl. Soak for 20 minutes to soften.
2. Meanwhile, char the bell peppers over an open gas flame or on a large baking sheet
4 to 6 inches from the broiler, turning often. Set the blackened peppers in a bowl and
seal with plastic wrap—or place them in a paper bag and seal tightly.
3. Drain the chiles, then put them in a large blender. Peel off as many of the blackened
bits as you can from the bell peppers, then stem, seed, and core them. Put these into the
blender as well.
4. Set a large skillet over medium heat for a few minutes. Swirl in the oil and add the
shallots. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic,
caraway, coriander, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Turn off the heat and pour in the vinegar, scraping up any browned bits in the
skillet. Scrape the contents of the skillet into the blender. Add the salt as well. Cool
for 10 minutes, then cover and pulse repeatedly until smooth, scraping down the inside
of the canister at least once.
6. To make the gnocchi: Position the rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375°F.
Bake the potatoes on the oven’s rack until soft and tender, about 1 hour. At the same
time, mix the shallots and the oil in a large roasting pan. Bake until soft and slightly
browned, about 20 minutes, tossing occasionally. Transfer the shallots to a wire rack
to await the assembly of the dish.
7. Transfer the potatoes to a wire rack to cool for about 1 hour, until just a bit warm
and easily handled. Peel the potatoes and put the flesh through a potato ricer and into a
large bowl.
8. Stir the yolks and salt into the riced potatoes, then add 2 ¼ cups flour. Mix to form a
soft dough. Add more flour as necessary to get a consistency that definitely holds
together but is soft, not sticky.
9. Turn the dough out onto a dry, clean work surface that’s been dusted with flour.
Knead until soft and smooth, about 3 minutes. Divide the dough into 8 balls. Roll one
ball under your palms into a rope about 16 inches long. Cut the rope crosswise into 1-
inch pieces. Roll each piece up a floured fork to create a small set of indentations
around about three-quarters of the dough. Set aside and continue rolling, cutting, and
making more gnocchi, dusting the work surface with flour only as needed to keep the
dough from sticking.
10. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Drop one-third of the gnocchi
in and cook until they float, about 2 minutes. (Working in batches prevents crowding
and mitigates drastic temperature fluctuations.) Use a slotted spoon to fish the gnocchi
out of the water and drain thoroughly in a colander. Repeat with the two remaining