Recipe: absurdly delicious French onion gnocchi

Oh my goodness – I came across this recipe and even though it was nine o’clock in the morning and I was knocking back an espresso, my mouth was practically watering (though there was already espresso in it). Anyway, I knew with absolute certainty that this incredibly delicious-looking dish would be on our dinner table soon.

Because if you love French onion soup and gnocchi (WHO DOESN’T?) this combination will send you sprinting to the pasta aisle of your supermarket or to a top-notch Italian delicatessen, unless you’re feeling ambitious and absolutely insist on making the gnocchi yourself. Whatever you prefer. But then you do have to stand over a pan for a while to caramelize onions, and afterwards you’ll melt a shitload of wonderful Gruyère over this dish and go crazy with happiness, deal?

This is a match made in heaven between super-easy ready-made gnocchi (which you don’t even have to boil first!) and French onion soup, resulting in a food baby in your belly that you would never have wanted to miss.

How to make French onion gnocchi according to the recipe from The Kitchn

• Cut the onions in half, then into thin half-rings.
• Strip the leaves from the thyme sprigs.
• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in the pan over medium-high heat.
• Separate the gnocchi and fry them in a single layer in the hot oil.
• Cover the pan and cook for about 4 minutes until tender and golden brown.
• Remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and let them rest in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• Melt 2 tbsp butter in the same frying pan and turn the heat to low.
• Add the sliced onions to the pan.
• Add half the thyme leaves, 1 tsp salt and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper.
• Cook the onions very gently, tossing them regularly, until completely soft, wilted and caramelized; this can easily take half an hour, and preferably forty minutes.
• Meanwhile, coarsely grate the Gruyère. If you grease the grater very lightly with neutral oil, the cheese will stick less!
• Ten minutes before the onions are done, place the rack in the middle of the oven and turn on the oven’s broiler.
• Pour the white wine in with the caramelized onions and scrape all the delicious browned bits from the bottom.
• Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar.
• Add the gnocchi to the pan with the onions and toss well.
• Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
• Smooth the top somewhat and sprinkle the cheese over it.
• Place under the broiler until the cheese has melted, is bubbling nicely and browned in places; about 5 minutes.
• Carefully remove from the oven, sprinkle with the remaining thyme and eat this in a state of utter happiness.

Read also:

• You can easily make the most delicious gnocchi (with Parmesan cream sauce!) yourself
• Such a shame: buying grated cheese
• Recipe: gnocchi with pumpkin sauce by FREDDY TRATLEHNER (a.k.a. VJEZE FUR)

Source and image: The Kitchn (photographer Eric Kleinberg)