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1
Drain the Brocciu AOP thoroughly — press it lightly in a fine-mesh sieve or cloth until no free liquid remains. Insufficiently drained Brocciu will destabilise the dough regardless of flour additions. The cheese should feel dry to the touch, not wet.
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2
Combine the drained Brocciu, the egg, the fine sea salt, and the chopped fresh mint in a bowl. Mix until homogenous. Begin adding flour in small increments — 20 g at a time — folding gently after each addition. Stop when the mass just holds a loose shape and parts cleanly from the bowl wall. Pinch off a small piece and roll it: if it holds a cylinder without sticking to lightly floured hands, the dough is correct. This is where the dish lives or dies — excess flour at this stage cannot be undone, and the gnocchi will be dense and flour-forward rather than cloud-like.
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3
With lightly floured hands, roll the mass into cylinders approximately 2 cm in diameter. Cut into 3 cm lengths. Do not roll on a heavily floured surface. Handle minimally — compression toughens the dough. Set the formed gnocchi on a lightly floured tray without crowding.
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4
Bring a wide pan of salted water to a gentle simmer — the water should move but not boil vigorously. Lower the gnocchi in batches. Poach for approximately 3 minutes. They are done when they float to the surface and hold there for a full 30 seconds; at this point they will appear as pale ivory cylinders with a slight sheen.
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5
Remove with a slotted spoon. If finishing in butter: melt the unsalted butter in a wide pan over medium heat until foaming, add the poached gnocchi, and cook without moving until a pale gold crust forms on the underside — detected by the soft hiss subsiding and a faint nutty aroma.