Loaded Baked Potato Gnocchi

Ingredients:

Gnocchi

• 2 pounds Idaho® Russet Potatoes, unpeeled
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
• Neutral oil for coating

Assembly

• 1/2 pound bacon
• Oil for frying
• 1/4 pound unsalted butter
• Salt, to taste
• 1 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
• 1 bunch scallions, sliced
• 1 cup high-quality sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Wash the potatoes and poke them with a fork or knife to vent. Bake the potatoes until completely cooked, about 1 hour 10 minutes, or longer depending on the oven.
3. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil on the stovetop and set up an ice bath.
4. Use a knife to vent the cooked potatoes to allow some of the steam to escape, then scoop out the insides of the potatoes, reserving the skins. Pass the potato through a ricer or food mill, then lay out in an even layer to cool.
5. As soon as the potato is cool enough to handle and will not cook the egg yolks, transfer to a large bowl. Add the yolks; mix thoroughly and then add the cup of flour all at once and incorporate.
6. Roll the gnocchi dough into 1/2-inch-thick logs, dusting with flour as necessary, then use a metal bench scraper to cut into 1-inch-long dumplings.
7. Handling the dumplings carefully, use the bench scraper to transfer them to the pot. Poach the dumplings in batches, until the gnocchi float, about 1 minute, then use a skimmer to transfer them to the ice bath. Allow to cool completely, then remove from the ice bath so as not to waterlog. Toss gnocchi in neutral oil to coat so they don’t stick together; set aside.