Gnocchi

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Put milk, butter and salt into large, deep saucepan and bring to boil. Remove from heat, add flour all at once and beat vigorously with wooden spoon. Return to low heat and continue beating for about 1 minute, or until mixture is smooth and comes away from sides of pan.

2. Step 2

   Remove from heat and beat in eggs one at a time. (This is tricky, since at each addition, the egg seems intent on refusing to be incorporated. Be persistent, though: after it has caused bits of dough to leap out of the pot like live fish, the egg will give up and blend in.) When all eggs have been incorporated, beat in cheese.

3. Step 3

   Take cooking-spoon-size amount of the dough, drop it on floured board, sprinkle with flour and roll out with hands into long snake about ⅜ of inch in diameter. Continue making snakes until dough is used up.

4. Step 4

   Using pastry scraper, Chinese cleaver or large knife, cut snakes crosswise into ⅜-inch pieces.

5. Step 5

   Bring 6 quarts of salted water to boil. Add gnocchi in 3 or 4 batches, letting water return to boil after each batch. Cook 5 to 10 minutes, or until gnocchi have about doubled in size. Drain, butter and serve.