Gnocchi

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cover a sheet pan with a 1-inch layer of kosher salt. Place potatoes on salt, and bake 1½ hours. Remove potatoes, and cut in half horizontally. Deeply score flesh in a crisscross pattern. Place halves on racks and allow to cool to room temperature, at least 30 minutes. Scoop flesh into a large bowl.

2. Step 2

   Press potato flesh through a fine ricer or sieve, and weigh it. You need 2¼ pounds.

3. Step 3

   Spread riced potatoes on a clean work surface, and shape loosely into a flat mound. Drizzle with egg yolks. Sprinkle with pepper. Cut into potato mound at 1-inch intervals with a pastry scraper, spatula or cleaver, to incorporate egg yolks. Sprinkle with flour as you go. Work mound by cutting and folding, but not kneading. Sprinkle with flour in handfuls until potato mixture feels fairly dry and is no longer sticky, and a small piece can be rolled easily into a ball.

4. Step 4

   Line two sheet pans with parchment. Lightly dust with flour.

5. Step 5

   Clean work surface with a scraper, and lightly dust with flour. Shape potato mixture into a loaf about 1½ inches high, 4 inches wide and 12 inches long. Cut 1½-inch slice from the loaf with a scraper or knife. Roll into a rope about ½ inch thick and 30 inches long. Cut at 1-inch intervals. Smooth ends of each piece lightly with fingertips. Place finished gnocchi on a paper-lined pan. Repeat with remaining mixture.

6. Step 6

   Bring a large pot of water, with 1 heaping tablespoon salt for each quart, to a boil.

7. Step 7

   Place ice cubes in a large bowl, add 4 quarts cold water, and place a large colander in the bowl so that it fills with ice water.

8. Step 8

   Slide gnocchi from one baking sheet into boiling water. After about 90 seconds, gnocchi will begin floating to the surface. Remove to colander with a slotted spoon or skimmer. Repeat with second batch.

9. Step 9

   Reline baking sheets with clean parchment. With a skimmer, transfer cold gnocchi to baking sheets. Cooked gnocchi can be served at once (see next step for a quick butter sauce, or toss cooked gnocchi with a warm sauce of your choosing), set aside for several hours or frozen in an airtight container for future use.

10. Step 10

    For a quick butter sauce, melt butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in 1 cup water until emulsified. (If not using entire batch of gnocchi, use proportionately less butter sauce.) Transfer sauce to 1 or 2 skillets large enough to hold gnocchi in a single layer. Add gnocchi, and cook over medium heat until butter starts to bubble and gnocchi are warmed through. Dust with cheese, and serve. Frozen gnocchi can be heated in butter without thawing.