I visited the Slow Food Farmers Market last weekend (see my tagliatelle with pesto post for the full rave!) and got to chatting with the ladies of Spud Sisters (check them out here https://spudsisters.com.au/). I decided to take their advice and stray from my tried and true gnocchi recipe - the one I've been using for 5 years - and give theirs a go. It was definitely a success! The mix of different floury potatoes worked really well and made a light, fluffy dough that held its shape perfectly when pan-fried. I used a fancy smoked garlic butter I got from Lard Ass Butter (pop over here to check them out! https://lardass.com.au/) to make a brown butter sauce and served it up with crispy chorizo, Swiss brown mushrooms (so much more flavour than cup!) and spinach. Give it a go!
Serves 6
Prep: 1 hour
Cook: 15 minutes
Ingredients
For the gnocchi:
4 x floury potatoes (King Edward, Maris Piper, Red Baron)
1 egg, whisked
2 cups plain flour
Salt & pepper
For the sauce:
Olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 chorizo, thinly sliced
400g Swiss brown mushrooms
20g butter
200g spinach
Method
Scrub the potatoes under the tap until they're not too filthy. Put them in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil over high heat. Continue cooking for around 40 minutes until the potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork and the skin is starting to split. Drain the pot and allow potatoes to cool for 15 minutes.
Gently peel the skin from the potatoes and return them to the pot. Use a potato masher to mash until smooth, or put them through a ricer if you possess such a fancy tool (I want one). Season with salt and pepper.
Add the egg and stir until combined.
Add half the flour and stir until combined.
Slowly add the remaining flour, stirring each time, until combined and a firm dough forms. Depending on the size of your potatoes, you may need a little more or less flour.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Don't go too hard on it as you'll kick start the gluten and the gnocchi will be tough.
Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion into a long sausage shape, about the width of your thumb. Slice your gnocchi-sausage (gnocc-age?) at 2cm intervals. You could roll them down the underside of a fork at this point, or even an actual gnocchi board if you are just all-out fancy (I actually do have one of these -- never use it!) to create rivets, but it's not overly necessary. Repeat with the rest of dough until you have lots of delightful little gnocchis.
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the gnocchi in batches, as it likes its personal space and doesn't enjoy being crowded! When it floats, it's ready. Use a slotted spoon to remove it to a large bowl, and repeat with the next batch.
Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the chorizo and cook until golden and crispy. Remove to a plate lined with paper towel to drain. Add a little more oil and fry the garlic and mushrooms until they are lovely and caramelised. Lower the heat to medium and return the chorizo to the pan along with the gnocchi and the butter. Let the butter melt and brown the bottoms of the gnocchi, tossing once or twice to coat.
Add in the spinach and toss the pan a few more times as it wilts.
Divide between bowls and enjoy!
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