Parisian Gnocchi with Spring Vegetables and Cream

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Not a potato in sight: these gnocchi are made from a savoury choux paste enriched with Gruyère, Dijon and chives, piped straight into barely simmering water, then chilled until firm. A hard sear in foaming butter turns them into golden, custardy pillows with crisp edges, tossed with asparagus, peas and spring onions and glossed with a splash of cream. It's the bistro-menu version of gnocchi that shows up at $35 a plate — and the technique is genuinely learnable in one afternoon.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 g), spooned and leveled
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 oz Gruyère, finely grated (about 3/4 cup)
• 3 tbsp finely chopped chives
• 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 4 quarts water
• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp neutral oil, for the tray

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 bunch asparagus (about 12 oz), trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
• 1 cup shelled English peas or frozen peas, thawed
• 4 spring onions or scallions, whites sliced, greens cut into 1-inch batons
• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• to taste kosher salt and black pepper

• 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
• 2 tbsp torn tarragon or flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 4 radishes, very thinly sliced (optional)

Instructions

1. Make the panade: combine the milk, water, 6 tablespoons cubed butter and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Let the butter melt fully and bring the liquid to a rolling boil — don't let it boil hard for long or you'll lose water and throw off the ratio.
2. Dump in all the flour at once and stir hard with a sturdy wooden spoon. The mixture will look shaggy, then pull together into a smooth ball in about 45 seconds. Keep stirring and smearing the dough against the pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until it leaves a thin film on the bottom of the pan and smells faintly of toasted flour.
3. Transfer the dough to a stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle (or a large mixing bowl). Beat on low for 1 to 2 minutes to release steam; the dough should drop to about 140°F, warm but not hot enough to scramble eggs. Beat in the Dijon.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until each is fully absorbed before adding the next — the dough will look slippery and broken after each addition, then come back together. After the fourth egg the paste should be glossy and thick enough to hold a soft peak, slowly falling from the paddle in a thick ribbon. Beat in the Gruyère, chives, nutmeg and black pepper.
5. Bring the 4 quarts of water and 2 tablespoons kosher salt to a boil in a wide 6- to 8-quart pot, then reduce the heat until the surface is barely trembling, around 190°F. Aggressive boiling will tear the gnocchi apart. Set a rimmed baking sheet nearby and rub it with the tablespoon of oil.
6. Scrape the warm dough into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip (or a zip-top bag with a 1/2-inch corner snipped off). Holding the tip just above the water at the edge of the pot, pipe a rope of dough and cut it into 3/4-inch pieces with a small knife or bench scraper dipped in the hot water, letting them drop straight in. Work in batches of about 20 so the pot stays uncrowded.
7. Poach 3 to 4 minutes: the gnocchi will float within the first minute, then need another 2 minutes to set through. They should feel springy and lightly resistant, not squishy. Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain well, and spread on the oiled sheet in a single layer so they aren't touching. Repeat with the remaining dough — you'll get roughly 60 to 70 gnocchi.
8. Refrigerate the tray, uncovered, for at least 45 minutes and up to 2 days. This chilling step is not optional: cold gnocchi hold their shape and brown instead of collapsing in the pan. Pat them dry with paper towels before searing.
9. Blanch the asparagus in the poaching water (or fresh salted boiling water) for 90 seconds, adding fresh peas for the last 60 seconds. Drain and spread on a plate to cool. If using thawed frozen peas, skip blanching them.
10. Heat a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high with 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter. When the butter foams, add half the gnocchi in a single layer and cook undisturbed 3 minutes until deeply golden on the bottom, then toss and cook 2 to 3 minutes more until browned on two or three sides. Transfer to a plate and repeat with another tablespoon of butter and the remaining gnocchi.
11. Reduce the heat to medium and add the last 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet along with the spring onion whites and garlic. Cook 1 minute until fragrant, then pour in the white wine and simmer 1 to 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits, until reduced by half.
12. Add the cream and simmer 2 minutes until it lightly coats a spoon. Stir in the asparagus, peas, spring onion greens and lemon zest, then return all the gnocchi to the pan. Toss gently for 1 minute to warm through and coat — the sauce should cling, not pool.
13. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan and lemon juice, then season with salt and plenty of black pepper. Divide among four warm shallow bowls, scatter with tarragon and the sliced radishes, and serve immediately while the crust is still crisp.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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