Last week, Italian chef Francesco Mazzei, co-owner of L'Anima in the City of London (which is closing for an extension this summer), went on a mission to find the perfect potato for gnocchi.
Mazzei and his team of chefs set out to test three different varieties of potatoes to see which one would make the best base for the Italian staple, with iconic French chef Pierre Koffmann testing the final product.
The varieties of potatoes on the menu were: Markies, Ramos and Sierra Gold which were supplied by QV Foods.
After boiling, peeling and ricing the potatoes, the chefs added flower and egg yolk to make the gnocchi dough, which they rolled out into strips, cut into pieces and shaped with a ridged, wooden gnocchi board.
First up was the Markies potato, which Mazzei mixed with dried spinach to give the gnocchi a vivid green colour. Markies are the new rival of the ever popular Maris Piper; they are a good all-round kitchen potato with a floury texture and mild flavour.
Mazzei served the Markies gnocchi with basil pesto and the result was a bright green plate of food made up of gorgeous, light and fluffy gnocchi perfectly balanced by the sweet basil sauce. "A definite winner," judge Koffmann declared.
Next up was the Ramos potato, a very dry variety, which surprisingly made it the least suitable potato for gnocchi. While the dough's consistency was far too crumbly, the gnocchi came out heavy and stodgy, reminiscent of the pre-made stuff you can buy in the supermarket. And even though Mazzei served the final product beautifully with sage butter, parmesan and truffle shavings Koffmann was not impressed. "The gnocchi are too heavy," he said.
The third batch of gnocchi was prepared from Sierra Gold potatoes, a new variety that is a cross between a Russet and a Yukon Gold potato which has a sweet, buttery flavour and a creamy texture.
Mazzei died the Sierra Gold gnocchi dough with squid ink, giving it a rich, black colour, and served it with broad beans, squid and colatura.
Sierra Gold turned out to be the star of the night. The gnocchi came out incredibly delicate and light with a sweet flavour perfectly counterbalanced by the salty squid sauce - a complete contrast to the heavy, stodgy dumplings we had before from the Ramos potato. Both Mazzei and Koffmann were delighted with the result.
Who would have thought what a massive difference the humble spud can make?
View the picture gallery of the search for the perfect gnocchi potato here.
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fantastic article !!