Potato Gnocchi

Potato Gnocchi – Polish Kopytka (Kluski)

Potato Gnocchi

They're called kopytka in Polish bur my parents called them kluski. These tender dumplings can be served the same as any pasta… with red sauce, meat sauce, pesto, a little butter & sage, or Polish style with browned breadcrumbs. You’ll need super smooth mashed potatoes and a ricer is the best way to go, not a food processor (too mushy). You can use a masher but make sure they are smooth! And work while the potatoes are hot! - Jenny Jones

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Makes: about 160

Potato Gnocchi

Ingredients:

  • 2 large Russet potatoes – about 1 1/2 pounds total
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

  1. Cut peeled potatoes into 2-inch chunks and place in a pot of cold salted water. Bring to a boil, cover & simmer 12-15 minutes until tender. Drain.
  2. Rice (or mash) the potatoes while still hot into a large bowl. You should have about 3 cups.
  3. Stir flour into hot potatoes followed by egg and salt.
  4. Place on floured surface and knead for about a minute to reach a smooth dough. Lift with a scraper if needed. Do not overwork.
  5. Cut dough into 8 sections. Roll each section into a rope about 18-inches long.
  6. Using a scraper or knife, cut each rope into 1-inch pieces (about 20 pieces per rope)
  7. Drop (about 20 at a time) into boiling salted water, stirring at first so they don’t stick. Boil for about 2 minutes/no more than 3). When they rise to the top, give them 15-20 seconds and they’re done.
  8. Remove with a slotted spoon and serve.
  9. Gnocchi freeze beautifully. Before boiling, place on a wax paper-lined baking sheet and freeze (be sure they’re not touching). Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag. Cook frozen ones the same as fresh.

 

Potato Gnocchi – Polish Kopytka (Kluski)

48 Comments on "Potato Gnocchi – Polish Kopytka (Kluski)"

  1. Kathy

    Love your recipe for Gnocchi, I have made it once before and it turned out wonderful and today I will be making it again, along with the soup, Chicken Gnocchi. Wish you were making more videos but if not, you left a good legacy, Jenny Can Cook. Thank you

  2. Anna

    I saw the video of Jenny making these and dreamed about them for a while. They were so easy to make and so wonderful. I served them with a gorgonzola cream sauce with toasted walnuts and radicchio. I’m making them again today for my Sicilian family that is visiting. These are the best!

  3. Susan

    Just made these again! They always turn out great! I’ve got a great white wine/mushroom/cherry tomatoes recipe that is so delicious! Takes a few minutes to make! I did my potatoes in cubes inside a plastic bag in the microwave 3 minutes at a time! It took 8 minutes, then used my ricer!
    Saw this on line. Worked like a charm! I kept the bag open a tad so the bag wouldn’t burst inside my microwave. Simple to make, and are fabulous!
    Thanks so much! I’m all for “easy” cooking! 🇨🇦

  4. Barbara

    Jenny I love you recipes I had tried several of them. I will be trying this soon. My family and I loved the Christmas chocolate raisin bread and the paczki are yummy. Thank you for sharing.

  5. michelle

    I am not a fraction Polish. I make these and add fresh grated Parmesan cheese. We call them gnocchi and serve them drenched in tomato sauce. Yum A twist on an Polish dumplings turned into Italian dumplings !!!

  6. Danusia

    The kluski my family made were without potato, do you have such a recipe?
    Glad I found this site, I miss your utube channel.

    • Jennifer

      Hi! The recipe we use is as follows:
      Add to a bowl 500g tub of ricotta and from same tub, all purpose flour. Then sift in 1tsp ish of salt. Once sifted, add one egg, (already beaten) and Knead out to Form a soft dough.

      Roll dough into 2” log. Cut and add to salted boiling water. When they float, they are ready to come out. Strain and serve with your favourite gravy 🙂

  7. Jane

    When I was a girl, my friend’s Mom would make these. Her Dad would take 2 or 3 plain ones and put in a little bowl add a dab of butter and a generous amount of syrup. That was his dessert. As kids we wanted to do that too. And we were allowed to. Now, I like them better with out the sweetness.

  8. Bill B

    My girl friend sister in law made these they were frozen prepackaged ,but she fried them up in butter and man were they good. She couldn’t make them fast enough .

  9. Louise B.

    My dad made these for us when I was a little girl. I believe he often used left over mashed potatoes. Never any measuring. He made them larger, the size of a finger. And that is what we called them — Fingers. I have no idea what that might be called in Polish!! We ate them with fried onions.

  10. Jane

    Hi Jenny!

    I have now cooked five of your recipes starting with your breads. I am so thrilled to have found your site! I truly love to cook and bake but am limited in how much time I can devote to it. Your methods, tips and no-nonsense approach has taken the panic out of my time crunch, and I am spending my hard won “kitchen time” having a blast!! I especially love your videos!!

    All the best to you!!

    Jane

    • Jane

      Hi Jenny…me again! I finally took a moment to read the about page on this site and am so blown away!! I have been wondering for months why Food Network or the like haven’t swooped in and scooped you right up! I thought you were my secret find and was wondering how I could help you to return the favor of your help to me (and my very happy husband and children). I am humbled by your successes and motivated by your giving heart. You looked so familiar to me, but when you’re from a huge family, everyone starts to seem familiar!! I loved your show and wish I had seen your stand up comedy.

      Still wishing you all the best!!

      Jane

  11. Mary

    Being from Poland, I feel entitled to a small correction. They are NOT called kluski: these are kopytka.

    • Jenny Can Cook

      You’re right but that’s what my parents called them so they are always kluski to me. However, I will include the traditional name as you suggested so thank you for the correction.

      • Pam

        My grandmother was Polish and she also called them kluski… maybe it was easier for others to pronounce?

      • Carmen

        Hello Jenny,

        Thank you for your wonderful recipes. I have had success with all but one, which I will try again.

        I love your humor and your charm is a compliment to all women.

        I wish you great happiness and good health.

      • Ania

        My mum called them kluski as well.
        This brings back memories of watching my mum make them and, as I got older, helping her out. This is a culinary blast from the past. Thank you!

  12. Debra

    Thank you for your wonderful recipes. My husband is Polish and I learned from my mother in law to cook Polish food. Your methods are easier and taste excellent. ( the same actually,maybe better) First recipe I tried was Paczki. Thank you again!

  13. PITTSBURGH BOB

    Jenny,
    I am Polish and can;t believe that you make so many things just like my mother did …. What a joy to watch you …God Bless you ..and He has with a great style and talent. So much more to say and to praise you, but I have to go
    watch you make Kluski.
    Thank you, PITTSBURGH BOB

  14. Anna

    After my mom died, I had no idea how to make Polish Kluski. And everyone I asked had no idea what Kluski was. I just found it on your website two days ago – and made it for my husband. Mom, born and raised in Poland, would be proud!

  15. Syl

    Hi Jenny,

    Love your recipes! I was wondering what kind of potato ricer you are you using. I have one but don’t particularly like it. Many thanks.

  16. LibraryLady

    I’ve been making these for years and I must say, your method is wonderful. I’ve always cooled down the potatoes. I can see that the warm potato method is by far better. I would just keep adding flour till the dough wasn’t sticky…and it was a lot of flour. I just noticed that your recipe made about 160…I guess I made mine larger so it did not make as many….Very good…will make again.

  17. Phyliss

    Hi Jenny,

    Just came across your blog and just love it. The recipes are wonderful but more wonderful than the recipes is your fabulous delivery. So simple and right to the point. Thank you so much. Phyliss

  18. Daniel

    “Pillows of Joy”, what a beautiful description!! Thank you for your videos!

  19. elzbieta

    J like this kluski, because kluski does fast ! Now in Poland this kluski does like big nuts with gap in centre of finger.

  20. Ef

    Hi 🙂
    I want to thank you for an easy recipe, that helped me make a lovely romantic dinner 🙂 🙂

  21. Stephanie

    Hi Jenny,
    How many servings is two potatoes?
    Thank you,

    • Jenny

      It depends. As a main dish it could be 5 to 6 servings. As a side dish, 8 to 10.

  22. Carla

    These look heavenly! But, why didn’t you drag the gnocchi against the tines of a fork to get the traditional indentations?

  23. Rae

    These are great tossed with fried cabbage and onion

    • Beth

      I would like to try this with the cabbage/onion. Did you boil the Gnocchi first?

      • Jenny

        The gnocchi have to be boiled first because they are raw potatoes and egg. Once they are boiled, you can saute them and add anything you like.

  24. Silvia

    Thank you so much for this recipe, I want to know if I can deep freeze after I cook the gnocchi.

    Thank you again, regards

    • Jenny

      It’s better to freeze them before boiling and then cook them while still frozen, i.e., put them, while still frozen, into the boiling water.

  25. Marie B from Canada

    What is the name of that big polish cookbook you had? Would you mind sharing it with us, if the recipes are in English? I have a collection of hundreds of books and we enjoy many ethnic cookbooks and recipes. Thanks Marie

    • Jenny

      It’s titled Polish Heritage Cookery by authors Robert & Maria Strybel. It was published in 1993 by Hippocrene Books and it’s huge – over 800 pages.

  26. Marie B from Canada

    Mom and I had these for supper tonite. She had gnocchi with tomato sauce and meatballs. I had the kluski, with just butter and a chicken cutlet. Very easy and delish. Thanks Jenny for making all your videos so easy and fun. We look forward to more treat..oh, your chocolate cupcakes are just like my amish wacky cake..yummy. Marie

  27. Marlene

    Jenny , I am Polish and My mom and I make ( kARTOFLANE KLUSHI . there is another name they use starts with a P. You don’t hear that anymore. Love your show and waiting to see more. Marlene

    • Jenny

      I found this online: Pyzy ziemniaczane (potato pyzy), the only variety of kluski with a filling, made from raw or mashed potatoes, flour and eggs. These are usually larger than other kluski, round, with either savory or sweet filling.

  28. Tyler

    If I’m going to make kluski, do I boil the gnocchi like you did in the video and then butter and bread them once they cool, then pan fry? Or do I skip the boiling part altogether?

    • Jenny

      Always boil them first. Then you can top them with anything you choose, or pan fry in butter and then add crumbs, cooking until the crumbs brown a little.

      • Tyler

        Thanks for replying so quickly to my question. I tried what you suggested and it turned out great. Only thing is next time I may use home made bread crumbs. The store bought bread crumbs are a little too salty.

        • Kathy

          Hey Tyler, You can find low sodium breadcrumbs in the Kikkoman brand Panko. I know this because my hubby has recently been put on a low sodium diet and had to join a low sodium Facebook group to find foods approved.

  29. khabirah

    If I don’t have 2 large russet potatoes can I just weigh my medium sized ones until i reach 1 and a half lbs?

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