Preheat oven to 425˚

Pierce each potato all over with a fork and place on a baking tray covered with a thin layer of coarse salt. This layer of salt should form a bed for the potatoes while they are baking.

Bake in pre-heated oven until tender, approximately 1 hour.

Remove potatoes from oven and allow to cool slightly. When they are just cool enough to handle, cut each potato in half and scrape the still hot flesh out with a spoon. Quickly transfer the hot potato flesh into a ricer.

Evenly distribute the riced potato flesh onto a clean work surface and drizzle with the egg yolk. Add nutmeg to the mixture, if desired. (Note: whether I add it or not depends on how I will ultimately be serving the gnocchi. With the nutmeg in it, it's lovely tossed with brown butter and sage.)

Next, sprinkle one cup of flour evenly across the potato egg mixture and starting working into a ball. Add remaining flour and continue folding and kneading just until it reaches a consistency similar to pizza dough. The total amount of flour needed will depend on how much moisture are in the potatoes.

PRO TIP: The goal is to work the dough until the key ingredients are evenly distributed throughout. Do not overwork or add too much flour as this will make the dumplings tough and chewy.

Break the dough into small portions and roll each portion into long ½” ropes with the palms of your hands. Then cut each rope into ½” pieces along its length. I find the best tool for cutting it neatly and evenly to be a dough scraper.

To get the classic gnocchi ridge marks, gently roll each small piece across the tines of a fork while pressing gently with your thumb. Or you can be extra like me and get yourself a gnocchi paddle.

To cook, drop pieces into salty rapidly boiling water. As soon as they float to the top, remove them with a slotted spoon and drop into a cold-water bath to stop them from cooking further.

OR you can cook them in a frying pan. This produces a crispy exterior while still having a soft center. I like the added flavor of sauteing them in butter but you can use olive oil instead.