One summer we worked as private chefs on a ranch in Montana. One of our jobs was to oversee the chefs in the employee kitchen. We watched as they lamented the crew’s love of ranch dressing, culminating one evening when a guy poured it on his lasagna. We were fascinated by how much people loved the flavor of ranch and slowly began to weave it into our repertoire just for fun. These gnocchi were one of our first experiments and are still one of the best.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 as an entrée or 8 as a side dish

　　7 medium russet potatoes of approximately equal size

　　Kosher salt

　　2 tablespoons/26 grams/1/2 lightly beaten egg

　　3 tablespoons/40 grams Ranch Spice Blend (recipe follows), or finely ground store-bought ranch seasoning

　　2/3 cup/100 grams all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

　　

Ranch Spice Blend

1/3 cup/40 grams buttermilk powder

　　4 teaspoons/9 grams dried minced onion

　　4 teaspoons/9 grams garlic powder

　　2 teaspoons/12 grams fine sea salt

　　2 teaspoons/12 grams freshly ground black pepper

　　1/2 teaspoon/2 grams dried lemon peel granules

　　1/4 teaspoon/0.75 gram smoked paprika

　　1/4 teaspoon/0.5 gram cayenne pepper

　　1/4 teaspoon/0.5 gram dried parsley

　　(makes about 2/3 cup)

　　

Step 1

Preheat a circulating water bath or a large pot of water set over medium heat to 152.5°F (67°C).

　　

Step 2

Place the potatoes in the water and lower the heat to 149°F (65°C). Cook the potatoes for 2 hours in the water bath. Transfer the potatoes to an ice bath and cool completely. This cooking and cooling process must be followed in order to hydrate, gelatinize, and isolate the starch in the potato.

　　

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

　　

Step 4

Prick the potatoes with a knife to create vent holes. Line a baking sheet with a layer of kosher salt approximately 1/2 inch (1.25 centimeters) thick. Place the potatoes on the salt and bake until they are cooked through, about 1 hour. Cut the potatoes lengthwise and open them up to release the steam. Brush off any salt that sticks to the skin. Press the potato flesh through a tamis or large strainer. The skins will not pass through the mesh sieve. Discard the potato skins and put 3 cups (500 grams) of potato in a bowl.

　　

Step 5

Sprinkle the egg over the potato mixture. Fold the potatoes on top of the egg until the egg is incorporated.

　　

Step 6

In a small bowl, whisk together the ranch seasoning and the flour. Dust this mixture over the potatoes. Fold and knead the dough so that the flour-ranch mixture evenly coats and combines with the potatoes. If the dough is still wet and tacky, add more flour. The finished dough should be soft, silky, and dry to the touch. Shape the dough into a ball, cover it with a dry cloth, and let it rest for 20 minutes.

　　

Step 7

Fill a medium pot with water, salt it generously, and bring to a boil over medium heat.

　　

Step 8

Uncover the dough and cut it into five sections. Roll each section into a log 1/2 inch (1.25 centimeters) thick. Cut each log into 3/4-inch (2-centimeter) sections and then roll these sections across a butter board to add ridging. Alternatively, you can mark each one with the back of a fork.

　　

Step 9

Once all the gnocchi are formed, cook them in small batches in the boiling water. The gnocchi will sink to the bottom at first and then begin to float. As they float, lift one out to test it. When the gnocchi feel firm and set, 3 to 5 minutes, they are cooked. Serve immediately with the sauce of your choice or, to serve later, transfer the gnocchi to an ice bath and let cool completely. Remove them from the ice bath, pat dry, and place in a container large enough to hold them in one even layer. Dress the gnocchi lightly with olive oil so they do not stick. They will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

　　

Ranch Spice Blend

Step 10

Put the buttermilk powder in a small bowl. Combine the onion, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, lemon peel, paprika, cayenne, and parsley in a spice grinder or blender and grind to a fine powder. Add the spices to the buttermilk powder and whisk to combine. The spice blend can be stored in an airtight container for up to a month.

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