The Perfect Home-Made Gnocchi
No matter how easy and quick to prepare ready-made gnocchi, I regret choosing it every time. It is a mystery to me why should it be sour?!?! I could not point out a single step in the recipe where this additional flavour could join in. Not to mention the heavy, fully packed feeling after consuming. This recipe gives a super light and tasty result BUT needs some work. Some sticky work. Give it a try, it's worth it.
INGREDIENTS
for the dough:
600g floury potatoes
200g flour
1 egg
50g Parmesan cheese
salt, pepper
on the top:
200g asparagus
150g green pea
100ml double cream
½ a bunch of fresh thyme (15g)
50g Parmesan cheese
butter/olive oil
METHOD
1. Peal the potatoes, chop into small (about 3cm) chunks and cook in a large pan of boiling salted water until tender. Let it cool down (in the water) before you start to work on the dough.
2. Meanwhile, line up the asparagus, trim off the woody ends.
3. Drain the potatoes, then return to the pan and mash well. Add the egg, mix in the flour and the cheese and season the mixture to perfection with sea salt and black pepper. Tip on to a clean, floured work surface. Knead the dough for a couple of minutes to be sure all the ingredients are mixed well. Cut the dough into 4-6 pieces and roll 2cm diameter ‘snakes’ of them one by one. Cut the dough rolls into 2cm slices. You can shape them into smoother, real gnocchi form but this rustic look is attractive too.
4. Fill the empty pan with water and place on high heat. When the water is boiling drop the gnocchi into the water for 2-3 minutes, or until they float.
5. Meanwhile, put the green peas, the asparagus and most of the thyme leaves into a large non-stick frying pan (on medium-low heat) with some butter or 1 tablespoon of olive oil, stirring occasionally. When they got tender, pour the double cream in and mix well. Let it boil for a couple of minutes. Season it with salt and pepper (some freshly grounded nutmeg can be nice too)
6. Drain the gnocchi and serve it on the plates, pour the asparagus mixture on the tops. Grate over the remaining Parmesan, strip over the remaining thyme, and finish with a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, then dish up.
