Gnocchi à la romaine is a classical French preparation of Italian inspiration — semolina cooked in milk to a thick porridge, enriched with egg yolks, butter, and Parmesan, spread to cool, cut into rounds, arranged overlapping in a dish, and gratinéed under butter and cheese until golden and crisp on the surface, creamy within. Despite the name, this preparation is firmly embedded in the French classical repertoire as part of the entremetier's starch preparations, and its technique — spread, cool, cut, gratinée — is a template that applies to polenta, potato, and other starch-based gratins. Bring 1 litre of whole milk to a simmer with 40g of butter, salt, white pepper, and a grating of nutmeg. Rain in 200g of fine semolina in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Switch to a wooden spoon and cook over medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring vigorously, until the mixture is very thick and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Off the heat, beat in 2 egg yolks (one at a time), 60g of finely grated Parmesan, and 30g of butter. The mixture should be smooth, rich, and glossy. Pour onto an oiled or buttered baking sheet, spreading to an even 1cm thickness with a wet spatula or palette knife. Cool completely — the semolina will set into a firm, sliceable slab. Using a 5cm round cutter dipped in hot water, stamp out rounds. Arrange them overlapping (like roof tiles — en tuiles) in a buttered gratin dish. Brush with melted butter and scatter generously with grated Parmesan and a few shavings of cold butter. Bake at 200°C for 15-20 minutes, or gratinée under a hot grill, until the surface is deeply golden and crisp while the interior has melted to a creamy softness. The trimmings between the rounds can be re-kneaded, re-spread, and cut again, wasting nothing. Serve in the gratin dish, the rounds glistening with butter and spotted brown, the cheese forming a crisp crust over a yielding, creamy interior.
Semolina rained into hot milk while whisking to prevent lumps. Cooked 8-10 minutes until very thick and pulling from pan sides. Enriched with yolks, Parmesan, and butter off heat. Spread 1cm thick, cooled completely, cut into rounds. Overlapping arrangement, butter and Parmesan, gratinéed until golden.
Use fine durum wheat semolina (semola rimacinata) for the smoothest texture. A mixture of Parmesan and Gruyère for the gratin topping provides better melting and browning. The semolina slab can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated — cut and gratinée the next day. For a richer version, replace half the milk with cream. The trimmings make excellent croquettes — shape into balls, bread, and deep-fry. A drizzle of truffle oil or a few shavings of truffle between the overlapping rounds transforms this into a luxury first course.
Adding semolina too quickly, creating lumps that cannot be cooked out. Under-cooking the semolina, producing a grainy texture. Spreading too thick (dense, heavy centres) or too thin (dry and crisp throughout). Not cooling completely before cutting — warm semolina tears rather than cutting cleanly. Insufficient Parmesan and butter on top, producing a pale, unsatisfying gratin.
Le Guide Culinaire — Auguste Escoffier