Gluten Freebird

When gluten is a concern, eating out at restaurants is more of a worry than a treat. Where once I liked the seasonality and thrill of eating out, I now find it more stressful than satisfying. Restaurants are still my favorite thing: I love to try new ones and get all dressed up, but I asked to enjoy a home-cooked dinner for my birthday on Friday.

Full credit for this recipe goes to Marc. He came up with a recipe that he thought I would never be able to enjoy on my own, executed it, and dished it up. It sings of the season with two of my favorite things: ramps and fava beans. I was lucky enough to eat it, but you can make it, too. There’s a good amount of prep work, but it’s so worth it and you don’t have to worry about being poisoned by floury invaders.

Notes: When it comes to good gnocchi, try to go for russet potatoes. Use your favorite flour mix as a direct 1:1 substitute for any other gnocchi recipe. If this is your first foray into flour mixes, a good rule of thumb would be equal parts white rice flour, cornstarch, and potato starch, with half-parts each of corn flour and tapioca flour and a bit of xanthan gum (usually between 1 tsp and 1 tbs). Go easy on the flour. No need to coat the dough.
Gnocchi is a tough delicacy. What we’ve found is that you ought to bake, not boil, the potatoes. Boiling leaves you with soggy, starchy potatoes, whereas baking rounds the flavor.

These gnocchi are light, pillowy, and delicious. The ramps give onion flavor, the chili adds some nice heat, and the fava beans give texture.

Gnocchi with Ramps and Fava Beans

Makes 4 servings
For the gnocchi:
2-3 medium russet potatoes, (about 1½ pounds)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Pinch ground nutmeg
½ tsp salt
¾ c flour mix
For the ramp and fava topping:
1 pound ramps
4 tbs extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for mixing
2 c fava beans, parboiled and shelled
1 tsp dried red chili flakes
2 tbs pine nuts, toasted
6 tbs Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
Sea salt
Ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Prick the potatoes all around with a fork. Arrange on a baking sheet and roast until tender (approximately one hour).

Once the potatoes have cooled to the touch, cut each in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Mash through a potato ricer.

Measure out two cups in a large bowl. Mix in the egg, nutmeg and salt. Blend using a hand mixer on low to combine the ingredients. Stir in the flour until just doughy. With gluten-free flour, it’s ok to continue mixing. Dough will be fairly sticky.

On a cutting board dusted with flour, knead the dough until pliable, adding flour as needed if it is too sticky. The dough should come together within about two minutes. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each into a ½-inch-thick rope (about two feet long).
Use a knife to cut each ropes into inch-long pieces. You can set each piece on a flour-dusted piece of parchment paper or foil.

Set a large pot of salted water to boil.

Meanwhile, prepare the spring vegetables. Remove the membranes of the fava beans, boil a small pot of water and add favas to cook for 5 minutes. Remove, using slotted spoon, to a bowl of ice water. (You remove the membrane before blanching to save the color, according to “The French Laundry Cookbook.”)

Chop off the ramps’ root tips with a paring knife and peel off any discolored membrane over the bulbs. Wash the ramps, removing any dirt or debris, and pat dry. Line the bulbs up on a cutting board and cut off the bulb ends (just below leaves) and halve the leaves lengthwise, reserving bulbs and leaves.

In a large non-stick skillet set over low heat, combine the bulbs and oil. Cook until the bulbs are soft, about 12 minutes. Add the chili flakes and cook, stirring frequently, about 1 minute. Add the ramp leaves to the pan and cook down until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the fava beans. Turn the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bulbs and greens are soft, leave on warm.

When the sauce is ready, cook the gnocchi. Add the gnocchi and cover the pot. When the water returns to a boil, uncover and stir, making sure that gnocchi don’t stick. Simmer for about 1 minute, or until tender and drain.

Add gnocchi to the pan with the ramps and favas. Toss with pine nuts, 4 tbs cheese, ground pepper to taste and a tablespoon of olive oil. Separate into serving bowls and grate remaining cheese on top.