The Best Guide for the NN12 Area

Potato, Butternut and Rainbow Chard Gnocchi with Herb Butter

Published: 16th August 2009 10:26

 

 

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 mins

Serves: 8

Ingredients

For gnocchi
500g potato
500g butternut squash
250g chard or spinach
500g ricotta cheese
250g plain flour
4 organic free range egg yolks
¼ whole nutmeg, grated
200g parmesan cheese
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

For herb butter
20 parsley stalks
4 sprigs oregano
15 chives
10 sorrel leaves (enough for ½ cup chopped)
150g butter

Instructions

Gnocchi are small vegetable dumplings which are Italian in origin. The word means ‘lumps’. They date from the 14th century when they were made with breadcrumbs and flour before the arrival of the potato. Gnocchi can be made with other starchy vegetables or with ricotta cheese.

For gnocchi
Peel the potatoes, cut into 2 – 3 cm chunks then place in a saucepan with a little salt and enough cold water to cover. Place on a high heat, bring to the boil and cook for about 15 minutes. Drain and allow to cool.

Peel and seed the butternut squash then cut into 1 cm chunks. Spread in a roasting tin, sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 180°C for about 20 minutes until soft.

Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Fill a large bowl with cold water. Remove any large stalks from the chard. Using tongs, plunge the chard leaves into the boiling water for approximately 30 seconds, then drop them into the cold water. Once cooled, lift the chard out and squeeze out any excess water. This process is called blanching and refreshing. Chop the cooked chard up finely.

In a large mixing bowl, mash together the potato and butternut squash. Add the chopped chard, ricotta cheese, flour, egg yolks, grated nutmeg, parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Combine all the ingredients until the dough is smooth, using more flour if necessary.

Flour the workbench well and take a handful of dough and roll into a thin sausage about 2 cm wide. Cut each sausage into pieces 1 cm long and transfer to a floured baking tray.

Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to the boil, then lower to simmer. Drop in as many gnocchi as will fit easily in one layer being careful not to overcrowd the pan. When the gnocchi come back to the surface (after about 3 minutes), lift out with a slotted spoon and slip into a warm serving dish.

For the herb butter
Pick the parsley and oregano leaves from their stems. Chop these leaves finely, together with the sorrel and the chives. Melt the butter in a frying pan. When the butter is bubbling, toss in the herbs and mix evenly.

To serve, pour the herb butter over the gnocchi and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

 

Courtesy of http://www.riverfordsacrewell.co.uk/

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