makes
15-20
prep
25 minutes
cook
15 minutes
difficulty
Easy
makes
15-20
serves
preparation
25
minutes
cooking
15
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
When I first saw a sign for gnocchi fritti in Bologna, I thought it meant fried potato gnocchi, so I went in and asked. When I saw them in the display cabinet, they looked like thin pieces of rectangular dough, slightly puffed, and with slices of various salumi between them. The shopkeeper explained that they were used as bread and fried. And (to my surprise), they did not contain potatoes. I love all the regional differences in terminology! When in doubt, always ask a local. Traditionally, these contain strutto (pork fat) and are deep-fried in it as well, although I have used butter and oil respectively as substitutes.
Ingredients
- 300 g (10½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 30 g (1 oz) cold unsalted butter, diced
- 2 tsp instant dried yeast
- 150 ml (5 fl oz) tepid water
- 1 scant tsp salt
- grapeseed, peanut or sunflower oil, for frying
- sliced prosciutto or salame, to serve
Resting time: 2 hours
Instructions
Tip the flour onto a clean work surface and make a little well in the centre. Place the butter in the well and work it into the flour with your fingers. Sprinkle over the yeast and pour in the water, a little at a time, incorporating it as you go. Finally, sprinkle over the salt and combine well. Knead the dough for 10 minutes, by which time it should be smooth, soft and elastic. Alternatively, you can make the dough using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment on low speed.
Transfer the dough to a medium-sized bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rest in a warm draught-free place for 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll out to a 3–4 mm (¼ in) thick rectangle. Using a fluted pastry cutter, cut out 8 cm x 10 cm (3¼ in x 4 in) rectangles. You can also cut triangles or diamonds if you like.
Heat 3–4 cm (1¼–1½ in) of oil in a heavy-based saucepan (or use a deep-fryer) to 190°C (375°F). Test the heat of the oil by dropping in some pastry scraps. If they sizzle straightaway, the oil is ready. Carefully drop in 1–2 "gnocchi" (depending on the size of your pan). They will take 30–40 seconds to cook on each side and will puff up quite a bit. When one side is golden, flip over and cook the other side.
Drain on kitchen towel and eat warm or cool, served with slices of prosciutto or salame. You can even fold the ‘gnocchi’ over onto themselves like a sandwich.
These are best eaten on the day they are made.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
When I first saw a sign for gnocchi fritti in Bologna, I thought it meant fried potato gnocchi, so I went in and asked. When I saw them in the display cabinet, they looked like thin pieces of rectangular dough, slightly puffed, and with slices of various salumi between them. The shopkeeper explained that they were used as bread and fried. And (to my surprise), they did not contain potatoes. I love all the regional differences in terminology! When in doubt, always ask a local. Traditionally, these contain strutto (pork fat) and are deep-fried in it as well, although I have used butter and oil respectively as substitutes.
