How to make knockout Gnocchi
RecipesThe St Michaels kitchens may be temporarily becalmed, but our Head Chef Darren is still cooking up a storm for you.
Darren is mainly busy tweaking and testing new menus stuffed with the best honest, local and fresh produce. We promise you, these will be feasts worth waiting for. In the meantime, on a sunny Spring day, Darren has popped out of the kitchen and into the sunshine to share a super-quick and easy recipe for you.
It felt appropriate, making these little pillows of Mediteranean comfort on the Garden Kitchen balcony on a bright Cornish Spring morning overlooking our stunning sub-tropical gardens. Here's Darren's step-by-step guide to knockout Gnocchi, which can be served dressed in oil or butter, or with your favourite pasta sauce (or whatever leftovers are lurking in the fridge!).
550g mashed potato (use baked potatoes for best results)
125g flour (00 pasta flour if you have it)
Pinch of salt
2 egg yolks
100g grated Parmesan (optional, any hard cheese will work)
15g onion seeds (optional)
Cover a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.
Bring a deep pan of water to a rapid boil.
Make whilst the mash is still warm (not too hot) as this will make the process easier. Also, it is important that the mash is dry, so best to bake or microwave your potatoes instead of boiling for gnocchi.
Ensure the flour and potato mix are evenly incorporated, without overworking.
Add egg yolks and continue to mix. Your gnocchi mix should be coming together and forming into a smooth dough. Season at this point, and I like to add onion seeds for a delicious and fragrant crunch.
Flour your work surface and roll your dough into a sausage shape approximately 1.5cm in diameter.
Cut individual gnocchi to the dimensions you like, 2-3cm is a good size.
Then place onto prepared non-stick baking tray and pinch lightly in the middle of each one to create a small pillow shape.
Tip your gnocchi into the boiling water. They should take about 2 minutes to cook. Once they are floating they are done.
Remove and put into cold water to stop them over-cooking. Drain, and toss the gnocchi in a little oil to prevent sticking.
These can now be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To serve, lightly pan fry in a non-stick pan and serve with garnish or sauce of your choice.
Enjoy, and don't forget to share your creations with us on Facebook and Instagram