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Tuscan Brands Executive Chef Makes Gnocchi at Home [Video]

Chef Nimesh’s career has taken him across the world from his homeland of Nepal to some of the finest kitchens in New England—most recently at Tuscan Kitchen. Coming from Katmandu he had no culinary school training, however he found his calling when he mentored under some of the region’s top chefs. Nimesh caught the attention of renowned celebrity chef Todd English, who hired him to work as his chef de cuisine at Figs on Nantucket.

Nimesh immersed himself in the culinary arts under chef English and learned quickly. He thrived at Figs before moving to to East Hampton, New York, to become executive chef at Racelane, where he honed his Italian culinary chops.

Chef Nimesh came to Tuscan Brands in 2016, joining the team in Salem, New Hampshire. He then opened Tuscan Kitchen Portsmouth where he continued his tradition of cooking inspired Italian dishes at Tuscan’s newest location in Boston’s One Seaport development. His expertise in classic Italian cuisine, attention to detail, and passion for locally sourced ingredients fit perfectly with Tuscan’s artisan style. Below is one of his signature dishes on Tuscan Kitchen’s menu.

Potato Gnocchi

4 baking potatoes (Russets)
1 tsp salt
2 egg yolks
1 whole eggs
1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Directions

Preheat the oven at 400 degrees F.

Set the potatoes in a baking tray and bake the potatoes for 1 hour or until fork tender. Once the potatoes are baked, cut into halves while they are still hot and then press them through a potato ricer or food mill.

After the potatoes run through the food mill, make a hole in the middle of the potatoes. Then add eggs yolks, whole egg, and salt.

Make sure eggs are perfectly mixed then add the flour and mix with your hands until a rough dough forms. Do not overwork the dough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Gently knead the dough for 1 or 2 minutes until smooth, adding a little bit more flour, if necessary, to keep it from sticking.

Break off a piece of the dough and roll it back and forth into a rope-like shape, about the thickness of your index finger.

Cut the rope into 1-inch pieces and gently roll each piece down with fork or wooden gnocchi board (if you have one) while pressing a small dimple with your finger. The gnocchi should be slightly curved and marked with ridges. This will allow the pillows to hold sauce when served.