Gnocchi Casero

An Argentine Tradition:

Porteño: (n).  a resident of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina.  

             (adj.) sharing particular aspects of a resident of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires.  

Please meet Susana.  She is also known as "Mamá Susana" and is the dueña de la casa.  

She drinks mate at least three times a day.

Smokes like a stack (but only on the patio).

She wouldn't shy away from elbowing her way through to the front lines of a protest - such as the smattering of demonstrations we've had around the city since the Estación Once tragedy last week.

And she speaks about six words in English.

Basically, she's a very good porteña.  

And te juro... can she make some delicious gnocchi casero.  

For those of you who may not know it, it is traditional in Argentina to make gnocchi (delicious potato dumplings) on the 29th of each month.  You might be asking yourself: isn't gnocchi Italian?  You would be right.  In the 19th century Italian immigrants flocked to Argentina and their descendants continue to uphold many of their traditions.  You can find fresh raviolis about as easily as you can a beef empanada here in Buenos Aires.  Pizza and gelato abound as do a number of verbs like laburar that come directly from Italian.  Street names like "Scalabrini Ortiz" and subway stations like "Carlos Pellegrini" are about as common as the street vendors, pungistas and alfajores.

On Wednesday I came home and found Susana waiting for me.  

"Después de comer, este, voy a mostrarte como preparar los gnocchis, dale," she said.  

After your snack I'm going to show you how to make gnocchi, okay?

[Sarah: eyes as big as saucers.  Heart flutters and thinks: She must like me. ] 

"Dale."

I watched as she dutifully instructed me in how to make the gnocchi (with very little measuring and or specifics, mind you), explaining how insipid the pre-made gnocchi in the súper (supermercado) really is.  Best of all - although she isn't technically responsible for any of my meals except for breakfast - she made sure there was a plate, resplendent with tomato sauce and cheese, waiting for me when it was time to eat.  Did I mention there were seconds?  It was one of the best meals I think I've had so far in Buenos Aires.  

Gnocchi Casero

A recipe from Susana Saliva 

1 medium potato (per person)

1-2 eggs (for 3 potatoes, 1 egg is sufficient)

1 1/2 cups of flour (more or less)

salt (generous)

Tomato sauce (your favorite variety) 

Queso fresco (or your favorite Italian blend)

Preparation:

1.  Peel the potatoes and boil them in salted water until they are fork tender.  Drain and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes.

2.  Mash the potatoes (Susana uses a ricer or something similar that I can't even begin to pronounce the name of).  Add the egg, lightly whisked, until both ingredients are combined.

3.  Season with salt.  Remember, potatoes need a significant amount of salt and this is one of the only times you really get a chance to season the gnocchi dough.

4.  Add the four - Susana started with what looked about like a cup.  Mix it together gently with your hands until it is mostly incorporated, then knead it on a floured counter top until the dough is smooth and elastic.  You will probably need to add a little more flour as you go.  You don't want the dough to be tacky to the touch.

5.  When the dough is just right (see photo) pull off pieces and roll them into little gnocchi whips.  Dice the dough (about every 1/2 - 3/4 of an inch) and then, using the tongs of a fork or a special gnocchi tool, roll the gnocchi.  The grooves help hold in the steamy sauce.

6.  Cook the gnocchi in salted, boiling water.  When they are done they will pop up to the surface and beg to be eaten.

7.  Drain and serve with sauce and cheese.  Oh, and make sure to hide a little cash under one of the plates for good luck.  Susana found ten pesos under hers :-) 

Buen Aprovecho!

Useful vocabulary from this post / El vocabulario útil de la bitácora: 

• dueño(a): n. owner 
• mate: n.  a popular beverage, similar to tea, in Argentina, Uruguay and Brasil (among others)
• "este": an expression used liberally in Argentina, much like the "uh" or "um" of North America
• "dale": an expression similar to "okay"
• supermercado: n.  the grocery store