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Wild Garlic Gnocchi
Soft, pillowy home-made gnocchi laced with wild garlic and topped with crispy, spicy Ndjua breadcrumbs. This is a serious springtime comfort dish!
Method
- Heat the oven to 220C/ 425F / Gas Mark 7 and start by preparing the potatoes. Prick all over and rub with salt. Place in the oven and cook for 1 hour, or until tender, then remove to cool. Once the potatoes have cooled, peel the skins, and push the flesh through a sieve.
- Whilst the potatoes cook and cool, rinse the wild garlic under a tap, then add to a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow the garlic to wilt for just under a minute, then drain and refresh with cold water. Drain again and squeeze out as much water as possible, then roughly chop. Add to a blender with a tablespoon of water and blitz until smooth and bright green.
- In a large bowl, toss together the flour, semolina, parmesan, nutmeg and seasoning, then add the wild garlic, potato and egg yolk. Gently mix into a dough, adding a dusting of flour if required. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a long sausage approximately 2cm wide. Cut into 2.5cm strips and dust with flour. Rest on a chilled baking tray until ready to cook.
- To make the ‘Ndjua breadcrumbs, fry the garlic paste in splash of oil over a medium heat. After a minute, as it starts to colour, add the breadcrumbs, nduja, parsley leaves and lemon zest. Cook for a further 5-8 minutes, or until crisp.
- Whilst the breadcrumbs cook, heat a glug of oil in a large frying pan. Gently lower the gnocchi into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, until starting to colour, then turn and cook for a further 1-2 minutes. Add the generous knob of butter and swirl through the gnocchi until melted and foaming.
- To serve, spoon the gnocchi into bowls, drizzle with the butter from the pan and finish with a sprinkle of the ‘Ndjua breadcrumbs and good crack of black pepper.
