Make it tonight: Foolproof Barbeque Potato gnocchi

This potato gnocchi recipe is easy to put together and foolproof: 

There is no fear of overmixing with choux paste as the base. Make sure your potato flakes contains nothing but dehydrated potatoes. You can mix the batter in advance and then cook the gnocchi to order. If you are a fan of barbecue potato chips, you’ll love the surprise of smoky flavour in this pasta.

Serves 8 as a side dish

INGREDIENTS
2 cups / 120 grams potato flakes (instant mashed potato)
195 grams beer
2⁄3 cup / 165 grams barbecue sauce
12 tablespoons / 175 grams unsalted butter
1 tablespoon / 6 grams garlic powder
1 tablespoon / 6 grams onion powder
2 1/2 teaspoons / 5 grams garam masala
1 teaspoon / 6 grams fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon / 1 gram freshly grated nutmeg
1/2  teaspoon / 1 gram cracked black pepper
1 cup minus 1 tablespoon / 140 grams plain flour
165 grams Cheddar cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
6 large eggs
4 tablespoons / 56 grams unsalted butter, sliced
30 grams Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, freshly grated (about 5 tablespoons)

METHOD
1 Preheat the oven to 175°C.
2 Spread the potato flakes on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 5 minutes, then stir. Continue toasting until they are a deep, golden brown, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and let cool at room temperature. Once cool, grind in a food processor to make a fine flour.
3 In a medium saucepan, combine the beer, barbecue sauce, butter, garlic powder, onion powder, garam masala, salt, nutmeg and pepper.
4 Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the ground potato flakes and flour and stir until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the
edges, about 1 minute. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute more until a light film forms on the bottom of the pan. Transfer the dough to an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and add the cheese. 5 Paddle the dough for 5 minutes to cool and then start adding the eggs one at a time, allowing each to be incorporated into the dough. Turn the mixer off and let the dough cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. It can be used immediately or you can chill it and shape it cold.
6 Set a large saucepan of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a 13 mm plain nozzle.
7 Working quickly, pipe the gnocchi over the boiling water, using a paring knife to cut off 13 mm portions and letting them fall into the water. Cook until just set and tender, 3 to 5 minutes. You can check by cutting one open and tasting it. Drain lightly and transfer to a large bowl.
8 Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the gnocchi and sauté until golden brown, 2 minutes. Gently fold the Parmigiano into the gnocchi. Serve hot.

Recipes and Images extracted from Maximum Flavour by Aki Kamozawa and H. Alexander Talbot published by Hardie Grant $39.95 available in stores nationally.