Photo via Beyond the Plate
This past summer I interviewed Marc Anthony Bynum for a story in our summer issue and was immediately struck by his passion: family, community, work and food. Marc was in the throes of getting ready to open his first brick and mortar restaurant, Hush American Bistro, in his hometown of Farmingdale. Proof of the adage, “dreams don’t work unless you do,” Hush opened its doors this fall to rave, and well-deserved, reviews. Marc’s recipe for sweet potato gnocchi, made with bits of leftover turkey, is just the kind of re-imagined fresh seasonal comfort food that has made Marc a chef to keep on our radar.
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Turkey, Dates and Pomegranate
Recipe by Chef Marc Anthony Bynum of Hush American Bistro
Ingredients for gnocchi:
2 (8 ounce) sweet potatoes
1 russet potato
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake both potatoes for 30 minutes, or until soft to the touch. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Once the potatoes are cool enough to work with, remove the peels and mash them or press them through a ricer into a large bowl. Blend salt, nutmeg, and egg. Mix in the flour a little at a time until you have soft dough. Use more or less flour as needed.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. While you wait for the water, make the gnocchi:
on a floured surface, roll the dough out in several long snakes and cut into 1-inch sections. Drop the pieces into the boiling water and allow them to cook until they float to the surface. Remove the floating pieces with a slotted spoon, place on cookie sheet with a little bit of oil and let cool.
Ingredients for dish:
leftover cooked turkey, pulled
1⁄4 cup dates (dried)
1⁄4 cup pomegranate (cleaned seeds)
10 sage leaves
unsalted butter (preferably Plugra)
salt & pepper to taste
In a heavy sauté pan over medium heat a knob of butter. When butter is melted, and pan is hot, add hand full of gnocchi and begin to toast the pasta. Add 4 -5 sage leaves to pan and continue toss. Add pieces of turkey continuing to toss (just to take the chill off the meat). Add pomegranate and dates. Mound on dish with a small knob of butter and season with salt and fresh ground pepper. Enjoy.
