Recipes

Gnoccho Frito with Country Ham

Plate of shaved country ham with gnoccho frito from Ilda
Image by Evan Anderson

At Ilda in Sylva, North Carolina, the menus are always changing, but this gnoccho frito with country ham will never go off. It’s a customer favorite. The simplicity of hot bread and salty, fatty cured ham served together is universal. In this case, look for a really good local country ham, which will make all the difference. It’s the perfect snack to enjoy with a couple of friends and a bottle of red wine while waiting for the holiday meal.

From An Italian Appalachian Holiday

recipe heading-plus-icon

yields

Serves 4 to 6

    Ingredients
  • 1⅔ cups warm water
  • 1 tablespoon dry yeast
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 5⅓ cups 00 flour, plus more for dusting
  • ⅓ cup lard, room temperature, plus more for frying*
  • 4 teaspoons salt
  • 20 pieces thinly sliced country ham
  • Balsamic vinegar for serving
  • *Alternatively, you can use cooking oil for frying
steps
  1. Combine water, yeast, and sugar in a large mixing bowl; stir until yeast and sugar are dissolved. Let rest in a warm space for about 15 minutes.
  2. Add flour to mixing bowl and combine with a wooden spoon. Slowly add lard and knead with your hands to incorporate. Knead in salt.
  3. Dust a little flour on a work surface and place dough on surface, kneading until a smooth, round ball is formed, about 5 minutes.
  4. Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 30 minutes.
  5. Add more flour to the dusted work surface, then turn dough onto surface. Use a rolling pin to stretch dough out into a long rectangle, about 1-inch thick. Slice the rectangle into smaller rectangles, about 4 inches long by 3 inches wide. Dust dough pieces with more flour.
  6. Fill a heavy-bottomed pot with enough lard or oil to cover the dough pieces and place over medium heat until oil reaches 350 degrees. Carefully place the dough strips into the oil in batches and fry, turning occasionally, until dough is golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Serve the gnoccho frito hot with slices of country ham and a splash of balsamic vinegar
  • Recipe By
    Santiago Guzzetti of Ilda in Sylva, North Carolina

Related Recipes

Recipes

Allan Benton’s Country Ham and Red-Eye Gravy

Sheri Castle, cookbook author and all-around gravy whisperer, speculates that red eye gravy was [...]

Recipes

Festive Christmas Breakfast Recipes

Check out our favorite Christmas breakfast recipes for savory strata, elegant quiches, light snacks, [...]

Recipes

Country Ham Biscuits

Make the biscuits: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In the bowl of a food [...]

Leave a Reply

Be the first to comment.


The Wine Lover Issue

Subscribe

1 year for only $24.99

1 year
for only $24.99

Subscribe and Save 72%!

Suscribe Now
The Travel Issue