-
1
Heat oven to 400F (200C).
-
2
Puncture a whole sweet potato with a fork a few times. Place in aluminum foil, drizzle with a touch of olive oil and salt. Seal and place in oven until cooked, about 45-60 minutes.
-
3
Remove sweet potato from the oven and set aside for a few minutes to cool.
-
4
Remove the skin on the sweet potato and discard (or eat it yourself as a chef's mid-cooking treat ). Place into a bowl and mash with a potato masher or the back of a fork.
-
5
Place the sweet potato onto a well-floured surface, add ~ 1 cup of flour (This depends on the amount of sweet potato you're using. You want just enough flour to make it workable so it doesn't stick to your hands, but still capable of sticking together. Remember, you can always add more flour, but you can never take it )
-
6
Make a well in the middle of the sweet potato-flour mixture and pour the beaten egg into it. Add ~ 1 tablespoon of chopped basil, lemon zest, a bit of lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Knead to combine. Add a bit of olive oil to help moisten the dough.
-
7
Roll the dough until it is ~ 1 inch thick (again, depends on how big or small you want your gnocchi) and use a floured knife to slice the dough along a diagonal to create each individual piece of gnocchi. Dip your finger into the flour and softly press down on each gnocchi. (This will ensure each piece serves as a beautiful, flavorful pillow for the beurre noisette )
-
8
Add salt and a tablespoon of olive oil to a pot of water and bring to a boil. Gently drop your gnocchi into the water and be sure to rock the pot back and forth to ensure the gnocchi don't stick together or to the bottom. When they begin to float that means they're finished.
-
9
Return the pan you used to create the lemon beurre noisette to medium heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil. (Do NOT clean it out, you want those leftover flavors to infuse into the gnocchi.) As the gnocchi finish, bring them directly from the water into the pan. Flip once to lightly brown and crisp both sides.
-
10
Plate the gnocchi and add a drizzle of the lemon beurre noisette. Sprinkle with freshly chopped basil, serve, and happily devour your creations
-
11
Add butter to a sautee pan (not a saucepan) over medium heat. As the butter just starts to melt, add 2-4 slices of lemon and honey.
-
12
As the butter melts, it will begin to bubble and foam. Continue cooking until the butter turns a golden brown color and gives off a nutty aroma and taste. (Be sure to adjust the heat as needed depending on your stove and pan - the last thing you want is for it to burn.)
-
13
Once the beurre noisette is ready, transfer it to a bowl until you are ready to drizzle it over the finished gnocchi.
