Teff gnocchi in a cheddar sauce recipe

Ingredients

• ¾ pound russet potatoes (about 2 medium)
• 11⁄3 cups water
• 1⁄3 cup teff, preferably brown teff
• 1 cup whole wheat flour, plus a little more for dusting the work surface (do not use whole wheat pastry flour)
• 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• Unsalted butter for greasing the baking dish

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 1 cup milk (whole, 2%, or 1%)
• ¾ cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
• ½ cup reduced-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon leaves or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon
• ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 4 ounces Cheddar, finely grated

To make the Gnocchi
1. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Place the potatoes directly on the baking rack and bake until soft to the touch, between 1 hour and 1 hour 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Stir in the teff, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until thickened and almost all the water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes, stirring almost constantly. Cover the saucepan and set it aside while the potatoes continue to bake.
3. Once they’re ready, cool the potatoes just until you can handle them. (Leave the oven on.) Halve the potatoes lengthwise. You can either scoop the flesh into a potato ricer and press it through the holes into a large bowl or put it into a fine-mesh sieve and press it through the mesh with the back of a wooden spoon.
4. Stir in the cooked teff, the flour, and egg yolks to form a fairly stiff dough. Knead it a few times in the bowl, adding just a touch more flour if you find it’s too sticky.
5. Sprinkle more flour on a clean, dry work surface. Break off a piece of the dough about the size of a large egg. Roll it in the flour until it’s a log about ½ inch in diameter and 6 to 8 inches long. Sprinkle with more flour to make sure nothing’s sticky. Cut the log into 1-inch pieces and place them on a flour-dusted baking sheet. Repeat this process until you’ve used up all the dough.
6. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, lightly butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish or 10-inch oval gratin dish.
7. Reduce the heat so the water simmers gently and stir in half the teff gnocchi. Stir gently in the pot until they all float, maybe 1 to 2 minutes—then simmer for 1 more minute. Drain with a slotted spoon and transfer to the prepared baking dish. Repeat, cooking the remaining gnocchi and adding them to the baking dish. Make sure you end up with a single layer of gnocchi in the dish.
To make the Sauce
8. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, cook for 30 seconds, and then whisk in the milk in a slow, steady stream to make sure the flour dissolves. Whisk in the wine and broth. Continue whisking over the heat until the mixture thickens somewhat.
9. Whisk in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, tarragon, nutmeg, and all but about ¼ cup of the Cheddar. Continue whisking until the cheese melts, just a few seconds. Pour the sauce over the gnocchi in the baking dish. Sprinkle the reserved cheese on top.
10. Bake until bubbling and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes before dishing up.