Gnocchi al Brocciu — Corsican Fresh Cheese Gnocchi

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.