Roasted Chili Potato Gnocchi

Servings: 12

Ingredients

• For The Gnocchi
• 3lb Colorado russet potatoes peeled and quartered.
• 2 lb Green chiles, roasted and peeled
• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup bacon fat, melted
• For the Sauce
• 3lb. Smoked bacon
• 12oz. all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ gallons whole milk
• 1 ½ lb. Cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions

To make the gnocchi:

1. Place the potatoes in salted water and slowly bring to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender. Drain the potatoes and dry them in an oven. After they have dried, rice the potatoes into a bowl.
2. Purée the roasted and peeled green chilies in a blender and strain off all the juice. It should come to 2 cups.
3. Roll the dough out into a long log, ½ inch thick, and cut into 1 inch long pieces. Roll the pieces over the tines of a fork to make grooved indentations in the dough.
4. Bring salted water to a simmer on the stove and cook the pieces of dough until they float on the top of the water. Drain on towels and hold warm until you are ready to toss them with sauce.

To make the sauce:

1. Render the fat off the bacon reserving 4 oz. for the gnocchi dough, and 12 oz. for the sauce. Heat the milk with half of the cooked bacon to infuse the flavor into the milk. Reserve the other half of the cooked bacon for garnish.
2. Make a roux by cooking 12oz. of bacon fat with 12oz. of flour until light in color. Slowly add the infused milk, whisking out all of the lumps, and keep over a low heat whisking continuously, until thickened.
3. When the milk has thickened, add half of the cheese to the milk and whisk until the cheese has melted. Season to taste with seasoning blend.
4. Add cooked gnocchi to the hot sauce and serve, garnishing the top with remaining shredded cheese and chopped bacon.