Shelf-stable gnocchi show their star potential when you skip boiling and brown them instead. For deep, even browning, arrange them in a single layer in a cold, dry skillet (easier than adding them to a pan of hot, spattering oil) and then pour a full 6 tablespoons of oil over the top, which seeps to the bottom of the skillet, thoroughly coating it and ensuring even contact with the heat.
Let the gnocchi sit over medium-high heat without moving until a nicely browned crust develops, and then lightly crisp the second side so that they retained moisture and chew. Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and use the remaining oil in the pan to cook other ingredients.
For a stir-fry-style dish, brown the ground lamb tossed with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch, stirring in a robust spice blend of cumin, Sichuan chili flakes and peppercorns, as well as sugar, sliced celery for fresh crunch, and Chinese black vinegar for punch, and then add the gnocchi back to the pan.
The gnocchi should be well-browned with a crisp-chewy texture. The lamb should be tender and savory with an intense, tingling heat. The celery should add refreshing crunch. As recipe testers for this, we were intrigued by the shelf-stable gnocchi, something we had never cooked with before.
When the dish finishes cooking, it doesn’t look like enough to feed four. But after all, gnocchi is very filling, and the servings should be smaller than those you might normally take.
NOTE: If desired, ground beef and scallions can be used in place of the lamb and cilantro.
Crispy Skillet Gnocchi with Spicy Cumin Lamb and Celery
Ingredients
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 ½ tsp. Sichuan chili flakes
- 1 tsp. Sichuan peppercorns, ground
- ½ tsp. sugar
- 1 Tbsp. water
- â…› tsp. baking soda
- 8 oz. ground lamb
- 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine
- ½ tsp. cornstarch
- ½ tsp. table salt
- 1 lb. vacuum-packed gnocchi
- 6 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
- 4 celery ribs, sliced on bias ¼-inch thick (2 cups)
- 4 tsp. Chinese black vinegar, plus extra for serving
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped coarse
Directions
- Combine cumin, chile flakes, peppercorns, and sugar in small bowl and set aside. Combine water and baking soda in medium bowl. Add lamb and toss to coat. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, and salt to lamb mixture and toss to coat.
- Separate gnocchi and arrange in single layer in 12-inch nonstick skillet. Drizzle oil evenly over gnocchi. Place skillet over medium-high heat and cook, without moving gnocchi, until well browned on one side, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir gnocchi and continue to cook until second side of most pieces is lightly crisp, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Using slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi to large plate, leaving oil in skillet.
- Add lamb to skillet and cook, using wooden spoon to break meat into pieces no larger than ¼ inch, until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in cumin mixture and celery and cook until celery is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Off heat stir in vinegar. Stir in gnocchi. Divide among 4 shallow bowls, garnish with cilantro, and serve, passing extra vinegar separately.
Recipe by Annie Petito for America’s Test Kitchen
Accounting for Taste 