Comfort food has the quality of being… comforting, lol. There’s a reason behind the name! They’re meals that are warm, full of flavours and aromas that remind us of our childhood. They also probably include a nice dose of carbs! These Parmesan Gnocchi Gratin are really delicious. They’re perfect for any day or for special dates, and you know those are the best meals!
Gnocchi Gratin
The gnocchi you see in the photos were handmade by me! It’s pretty simple to make potato gnocchi and it’s really fun, too! To make classic potato gnocchi you just need potatoes, flour, eggs and salt. Besides that, you also need instructions to get them perfectly made, so here’s my post on how to make gnocchi. Of course, it’s not compulsory to make them yourself but if you’re willing to make them, there you go. The sauce for these is a silky bechamel sauce with cheese (I can hear you clapping, lol). To see how I make a classic bechamel sauce with no lumps or breaking a sweat, check out the video below. The only difference is that I add cheese at the end.
Gnocchi are delicious with any sauce. They’re these soft, cloud-like potato bites that just melt in your mouth. I almost wrote “sing in your mouth”, I feel the social distancing is getting to me, lol. Having said that, when the gnocchi are then sprinkled with parmesan cheese and then browned in the oven… they just go to a whole other level. That golden top on this Parmesan Gnocchi Gratin makes it the perfect dish. As you will notice in the photos, I placed the gnocchi in individual portions in the oven, but you can also achieve this in a large baking dish and then serving at the table.
Virtual hug
Before getting to the recipe, I do want to stop for a second to give you a few words of encouragement. I know that our social distancing period feels neverending, we have a heavy feeling in our hearts. We’re worried, stressed, tired and so many more feelings all jumbled up. We have to find a bit more patience in our hears and stay at home for those of us that are more vulnerable to the disease, or for those whose work is essential to us. Soon this will all be a distant memory, but in the meantime, we have to put everything we’ve got into it. I’m happy to be with you virtually and help you make delicious dishes at home.
Ingredients
For the sauce's milk
- 350 ml milk any king
- ¼ onion unchopped
- 2 cloves
- 1 bayleaf
- 2 thyme sprigs optional
For the bechamel sauce with cheese
- 20 g butter salted or unsalted
- 20 g all-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Milk from above
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 40 g freshly grated Parmesan cheese + more for broiling
Instructions
For the sauce's milk
- Place all the ingredients in a pot over low heat. Leave it to simmer for 10 minutes. Stir every once in a while so the milk doesn't stick to the bottom and burn.
- Pass the contents through a colander and keep the milk.
For the bechamel sauce with cheese
- Melt the butter over medium heat and add the flour.
- Let the mix cook for 1 minute, mixing constantly with a whisk. This mix is called "roux" (pronounced "roo") in french.
- Remove the pot from the heat and add a drizzle of milk. Whisk together. You'll notice a dough-like mix will form at first.
- Add all the milk one drizzle at a time, mixing in between. When the mix is thin enough, add the rest of the milk in one go. Finish by adding a bit of nutmeg.
- Return the mix to medium heat and let it come to a boil. While this happens mix constantly with your whisk.
- From the moment it breaks into a boil, let it cook for a minute. Remove the bechamel sauce from the heat.
- Add the parmesan cheese and mix to melt it into the sauce.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
For the parmesan gnocchi gratin
- When the sauce is ready, add the gnocchi to the boiling water. Cook only enough to fill the base of the pot at once. If you add more, they could stick.
- As they come afloat, remove them and transfer them directly to the sauce. Mix them in to prevent them from sticking. Repeat with all the gnocchi.
- Place the gnocchi with the sauce in individual oven-safe dishes or a large one works, too.
- Grate more cheese on top. It's important that it's cold, finely and freshly grated for that perfect gratin.
- Place the gnocchi in a preheated oven on max heat, you will especially need the broil or top heat for this. Don't leave their side because depending on your oven it could take anywhere from 2 to 15 minutes.
- Once golden on top, remove them from the oven and serve immediately.
