Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Browned Butter Beurre Blanc and Crispy Capers

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Put potatoes onto prepared baking sheet and into oven and bake until tender, about 1 hour. Let cool until they can be handled.
3. Cut in half and scoop into a lArgentina bowl and mash until there are no visible lumps. Stir in ricotta, Parmesan. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms, don’t over-knead or dough will be tough.
4. Cut dough into 6 equal pieces with a bench scraper or knife. Roll each piece into a 20-inch long rope, about 1-inch in diameter, sprinkling with additional flour as needed to prevent sticking. Using a knife, cut each rope into 3/4-inch bite-size pieces. Cover remaining dough with a towel to prevent drying out.
5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; working in batches, cook gnocchi until tender, stirring occasionally, about 4-6 minutes. Drain well and transfer to clean towel-lined plate or baking sheet.
6. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add capers and stir until crispy, about 3 minutes; set aside.
7. In the same pan, add gnocchi and cook until golden brown and crisp, flipping once, about 2-3 minutes per side. Keep warm in the pan while you make the sauce.
8. Plate gnocchi, spoon sauce over, and top with fresh grated Parmesan, crispy capers and crispy sage leaves. Pour yourself a glass of recommended wine, or something similar and relish in the glory of the amazing meal you created.

Sauce:

Melt half a stick of butter in a stainless steel pan over medium heat, heat it gently and whisk as it melts. The butter will start to foam but you’ll need to keep a close eye on it to prevent burning. Add the sage leaves and you’ll begin to see the butter start to brown. Once it reaches a golden brown color, take it off the heat. You’ll mix this into the sauce at the end.

Simmer wine, vinegar, and shallot in a medium saucepan over moderate heat until liquid is and reduced to 3 tablespoons, about 5 minutes. Add cream, salt, and white pepper and simmer 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and add a few tablespoons butter, whisking constantly. Add remaining butter a few pieces at a time, whisking constantly and adding more butter as it starts to emulsify. Add in browned butter and stir to combine. Turn off heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

The Wine Pairing:

Everything about this dish calls for a rich white wine and there are many options. We settled on a white Rhone style blend from Bonny Doon in California. The Le Cigare Blanc is named after a strange rule prohibiting flying saucers from landing in Chateauneuf-du-Pape (the red is Le Cigare Volant, or flying saucer). It doesn't taste like a cigar, but rather vibrant citrus notes with chalky minerality and medium texture. The wine is Grenache Blanc, Vermentino, and Clairette, and the Vermentino definitely makes its presence felt.

The Le Cigare Blanc takes the drinker to the Mediterranean and showers them with lemons and green apples. The contrast is nice as the acidity in the wine refreshes the wine after every buttery bite, but the wine isn't so light to not stand up to the intensity. White Rhone style blends consisting of Marsanne, Roussane, and Viognier would also pair well but are much richer wines and will offer less overall balance.