Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Gnocchi

It's freezing outside, there's snow on the hills again and I'm off skiing tomorrow! Winter is back with us and I fancied something to stick to your ribs today, so made potato gnocchi. I finally got the knack of making these during Masterchef last year, when I was shown during the restaurant experience. My efforts had always ended up rather heavy, but I discovered the secret is to add only as much flour as you need to hold them together to cook.

Gnocchi with spinach, pumpkin and walnuts

For 4 as a main course

1kg floury potatoes
250g plain flour, preferably '00'
salt and pepper
1 small butternut squash
couple of sage leaves
300ml vegetable or chicken stock
100ml double cream
knob of butter
250g fresh spinach, washed
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
8 walnuts, roughly broken
4 slices of parma ham (optional)
Grated parmesan or gorgonzola cheese (or both!)

Preheat the oven to 200c. Prick the potatoes, and place on a large baking sheet. Half the butternut squash and place skin side up on the same sheet and bake until tender - the squash will take about 40 mins and the potatoes about an hour. Remove and allow to cool enough to handle. Half the potatoes and place through a potato ricer or scoop out the flesh and mash. Place the potato in a bowl add the flour and some salt and pepper. Combine the ingredients and knead briefly to a smooth dough. Break off manageable pieces of dough and roll them out on a floured surface, to a 2cm round. Cut this into 21/2cm lengths and toss them in a little more flour and place on a tray. Repeat until you have used all the dough.


To make the sauce scoop the flesh from the squash into a saucepan add the stock and sage leaves and heat until thickened a little, then add the cream. Remove the sage and season with salt and pepper. If you would like the sauce very smooth blend briefly with a stick blender.
Heat a saucepan until very hot and add the butter. Add the spinach and cook quickly on a high heat to evaporate the water. Remove from the pan, leaving any excess water and place over the bottom of a gratin or ovenproof dish. Season with salt, pepper and a grating of nutmeg.


Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and drop in the gnocchi, bring back to the boil, stir briefly and simmer until they rise to the surface, then remove immediately and place into the butternut sauce and stir to caot very gently. Place this on top of the spinach, scatter the walnuts over and place in the oven at 190c for approximately 15 minutes until hot. Meanwhile heat the grill to very hot and grill the slices of parma ham, if using, until crispy. Remove the dish from the oven, crumble the crispy parma ham over and top with as much grated parmesan or crumbled gorgonzola as you fancy. Finish under the grill until the cheese is melted and browning.



These gnocchi are very versaile and can be eaten with any sauce. If you don't use all of them they also freeze very well before cooking. Just place them individually on a baking sheet and freeze, then put them in a freezer bag once frozen. They are also very delicious fried until crispy. To do this boil as usual, and toss in olive oil as soon as you remove from the water. This can be done in advance, then they are ready to fry on a fairly high heat, using a non-stick frying pan, until golden brown and tossed with pesto.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting this. I have never made gnocchi and as luck would have it I have everything for it.

Suggestion: Perhaps later in the year you could do a wild mushroom gathering post, I have always been a bit nervous about ones you can eat and ones you can't. A friend of mine said that you must not drink wine when consuming shaggy inkcaps as it will react and you will suffer an upset stomach - I've not heard that before