Quadruple Onion Gnocchi
If you hate onions or are allergic, then you should probably stay far away from this recipe.
Whether you like it or not, onions are here to stay as they are used across just about every cuisine under the sun. In fact, next to potatoes, onions are the second most used and varietal vegetable in cooking and can be cooked up in a long list of delicious ways such as sauteeing for soups, infusing into stocks, onion rings, French onion soup and pickled onions, just to name a few.
Onions also make up 1/3 of classic aromatic flavor bases such as the French mirepoix or the Italian sofrito or the Cajun and Creole holy trinity, and that’s just talking about the big white bulbs, we haven’t even gotten into their many varieties like red onions, cippolini onions, shallots, leeks, scallions, chives, and spring onions.
So, naturally I wanted to come up with a dish that celebrates our smelly bulbs that make us cry by using them 4 different ways in a hearty, tasty gnocchi dish. The idea came from a TikTok by Kuritomo Cooking for a triple gnocchi dish that looked so appealing that I had to try it myself. I’m not saying that her dish will be inferior to mine, but I did want to take it one step further.
I will be making a creamy, slightly cheesy sauce using lightly caramelized shallots and leeks that will hug my gnocchi the right way. Here’s my addition, I will also be doing some air fried onion straws to add a wonderful texture to my dish, and then finish the dish with some chives.
So shallots, leeks, onions, chives…yep, that’s quadruple alright! Let’s do it!
Serves 4
For the crispy onions:
1 large sweet onion
Vegetable oil, for coating
For the Gnocchi:
3 tbsp unsalted butter
4 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 large leeks, dark green part removed and light part cut into half moons
Salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp minced fresh thyme leaves
3 tbsp flour
1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken or veggie broth
1 package (1 pound) prepackaged gnocchi (If you want to make the gnocchi from scratch, then compliments to the chef! In that case, you will want to cook the gnocchi before adding it to the sauce)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup finely shredded Gruyere cheese
2 tbsp thinly sliced chives, for garnish
To make the crispy onions, start by preheating your air fryer to 300 degrees F
Remove the top and root of your sweet onion and peel away the skin, leaving the onion whole. Use a mandolin (Or a knife if you really trust your knife skills) to slice the onion into very thin rounds. Coat the onion in oil, then air fry for 30 minutes, tossing and stirring every 5 minutes, until the onions are all golden and crisp.
While the onions do their thing, heat the butter in a wide nonstick frying pan until melted and sizzling. Add the shallots, leeks, and a pinch of salt, then cook over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until the shallots and leeks begin to turn golden brown.
Add the garlic and thyme, then cook an additional minute, or until fragrant, then stir in the flour and cook for about 30 seconds to remove any raw flour taste
Add the broth, bring it to a simmer, and cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until the liquid begins to thicken.
Add the gnocchi and cream, then continue cooking until the sauce has thickened and manages to coat the gnocchi beautifully. Remove the pan from the heat, then stir in the shredded cheese to melt. Taste and season the dish with salt if needed.
To serve, pile up your beautiful gnocchi onto plates or a serving platter, then top with a handful of those crispy onions (Chances are good that you’ll have extras) and a sprinkling of chives.
