• Gnocchi Dough:
  • 1 oz. unsalted butter
  • pinch of ground nutmeg
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2¼ oz. all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • ½ oz. Gruyère (cheese), grated
• Béchamel Sauce:
  • ½ oz. unsalted butter
  • 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3¼ oz. ham, chopped
  • 1¾ oz. Gruyère (cheese), grated

• To make the gnocchi dough, add the nutmeg, butter, some salt and pepper and ½ cup water to a saucepan and bring to a boil.   Sift in the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until a ball starts to form and pulls away from the sides of the pan.  Place in a bowl, cool, then add the eggs slowly, beating well after each addition until smooth.  Stir in the cheese and set aside.
• To make the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat and add the flour.  Stir until a smooth paste forms, then cook for 3 minutes.  remove from the heat and cool.  In another saucepan, bring the milk to a boil, then whisk into the cooled mixture.  Bring to a boil slowly, stirring constantly to stop lumps forming.  Remove from heat, add the ham and cheese and season with salt and black pepper.
• Preheat the oven to warm 315°F.   Bring a pan of salted water to a boil and prepare a large bowl of cold water.   Place the dough in a piping bag fitted with a medium-size plain round nozzle and pipe into the boiling water, cutting into 1 inch lengths with a knife.  Once the gnocchi rise to the surface, cook for just 30 seconds, then remove.  Place in the cold water then drain on a clean cloth.
• Butter an ovenproof dish and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Pour in about a quarter of the béchamel sauce.  Arrange the gnocchi in layers, coating each layer with some of the sauce, then finishing with a layer of sauce.  Bake in the oven for 10 minutes then increase the oven heat to 400°F and bake the gnocchi until the top is nicely golden.

Make 4 servings as an appetizer