This recipe shows you how easy it is to make potato gnocchi. The fresher they are, the better they taste. This is also a great way to eat an artichoke as a little goes a long way. Enjoy with a chilled glass of Italian Rose.
Have a great Bank Holiday weekend!
Ingredients
2 medium sized artichokes
1 clove of garlic
1/2 tsp chopped thyme
50g unsalted butter
1 tblsp olive oil
75g freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of water
For the gnocchi
500g floury potatoes (Maris Piper) cut in half
100g tipo oo flour
1 organic egg (beaten)
To make the gnocchi
Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until soft. Drain and make sure the steam evaporates. Mash through a mouli- legumes or potato ricer. Leave in a large bowl to cool.
Mix the flour and the egg together with the mashed potato and form a soft dough.
Divide into three pieces and,using the palms of your hands and your fingertips,roll each one into a long sausage about 2cm in diameter. Cut into 2cm lengths, then push each one gently over the back of a folk on to a floured board. This gives the gnocchi a few ridges and a crevice, which will help to hold the sauce, making them really tasty.
Take the artichoke and peel off the tough outer leaves and outside stringy stem. Cut 1/2 the top off the artichoke leaving tender leaves. Using a tsp scoop out the choke. Cut the artichoke lengthways so you end up with slices of artichoke heart and stem.
In a saucepan add olive oil and 1 clove of sliced garlic and 1/2 tsp of thyme. Add the artichokes and 1/2 cup of water and cook with a lid on for 5 mins or until the artichoke is tender. Remove from the sauce pan and place them into a warm frying pan with the butter
In a pot of boiling salted water add the gnocchi and cook them until they rise to the top of the water. Using a slotted spoon carefully take out the gnocchi and toss in the warmed frying pan with the artichokes and a few spoonfuls of the cooking water add 75g of grated Parmesan and toss well until you get a really creamy consistency. Finish with black pepper.