What causes gnocchi to pop violently when fried?
I came across this video about frying gnocchi, and am now quite curious what causes the reaction shown, especially since gnocchi is made from potatoes, and we have all had a fried potato in some manner or another.
Best Answer
I think it's because there is water inside the gnocchi paste, which turns into vapor and builds up pressure. A little bit like why you shouldn't throw an ice cube in hot oil.
You can pan fry them, but not deep-fry them.
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Quick Answer about "What causes gnocchi to pop violently when fried?"
Show activity on this post. I think it's because there is water inside the gnocchi paste, which turns into vapor and builds up pressure. A little bit like why you shouldn't throw an ice cube in hot oil. You can pan fry them, but not deep-fry them.Do you need to boil gnocchi before frying?
Do I need to boil gnocchi first before frying? The simple answer is NO. I've tried it this way a few times but it makes no difference to the cooking time (it actually takes longer because you have to boil them first) or the taste or quality. Simply toss them straight from the bag into a pan and fry.Can you deep fry potato gnocchi?
Gnocchi is mostly shallow-fried but they taste just as good when deep-fried.What went wrong with gnocchi?
Your gnocchi may be mushy because of any or all of the following reasons: boiled the potatoes instead of baked them. used waxy new potatoes with too much moisture in them. not used eggs to help texture.How do you know when fried gnocchi is done?
Bring a pot of salted water up to a boil. Add in the gnocchi. They will sink to the bottom, and when they float they are done. This only takes about 3 minutes, making gnocchi an even quicker dinner than boiling pasta.Fried Gnocchi
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Answer 2
“It's the water content in the gnocchi reacting to the hot oil. When water hits hot oil, the water boils very quickly and turns into gas, creating a very fast expansion. Because the gnocchi are relatively soft and light weight, the force of that expansion inside of the gnocchi is stronger than the tension of the gnocchi structure and the gravity holding the gnocchi inside of the pan, and therefore they explode and "jump" out of the oil.” — TheStupidistRedditor
This explanation came from the reddit responder, TheStupidistRedditor. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskCulinary/comments/44r2wy/please_explain_what_is_happening_to_the_gnocchi/
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