Swiss Chard Potato Gnocchi from Nice (Merda de Can)
In French, “Merde de chien” or in English, “Dog’s poo” (to remain polite), these “Merda de Can” are a scrumptious specialty from Nice, on the French Riviera. Don’t be fooled by the extremely unappealing name of this extremely delectable dish! These homemade Swiss Chard and Potato Gnocchi (named after their shape) are delicious and very popular in this region of France. You can find them on many restaurants’ menus and they are home-cooks’ favorites, as they’re a great way to sneak greens into a dish (and are so fun to…
- Prep time
- 45 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- EASY
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 3 large (900g/2 lbs) starchy potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 3 tsp (17.1g) salt, divided
- 350g Swiss Chard, stemmed and finely chopped
- 2 cups (256g) all-purpose flour + about 1 cup (128g) extra for working the dough
- ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 large egg yolk
- 5 tbsp (75g) unsalted butter, divided
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan
Instructions
- 1
Make sure you read the cooking notes above before you start.
- 2
Step 1 - Bring a large pot of water with 1 tsp salt to a gentle bowl and cook the potatoes until fork-tender. Drain and mash.
- 3
Step 2 - In a large frying pan, melt 1 tbsp (15g) of butter over medium heat. Add the chopped Swiss Chard and cook for about 3-4 minutes until the chard is dark and cooked, and all the moisture has evaporated.
- 4
Step 3 - Transfer the mashed potatoes onto a working surface. Dig a well in the middle and add the cooked Swiss Chard, 2 cups (256g) all-purpose flour, 1 tsp salt, nutmeg, black pepper and egg yolk. With your hands, mix and combine all the ingredients into a crumbly, sticky paste. Slowly sprinkle in extra flour (a little handful at a time) and mix it in until the dough comes together into a smooth ball that doesn’t stick to you fingers anymore.
- 5
Step 4 – Divide the dough in 4 equal pieces and roll each piece into a long log (about 1.5 inch/3.8cm thick). Using a large knife, slice the logs into 1.5-inch (3.8cm) pieces.
- 6
Step 5 – Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tsp salt. Add some gnocchi (don’t cook all the gnocchi at once, work in several batches, at least 4) and cook until the gnocchi float to the surface of the water (this means they are ready). Immediately take the gnocchi out of the water (use a slotted spoon) and transfer them onto a large serving plate with 4 tbsp (60g) of butter. Cook all the gnocchi and stir to make sure the gnocchi are evenly coated in butter.
- 7
For serving, sprinkle freshly grated parmesan on top. Enjoy immediately.