Martin Bosley's mustard-potato gnocchi recipe - 8 February
Mustard-Potato Gnocchi with Black Pudding and Young Vegetables
Serves 4-6
Mustard-Potato Gnocchi
1kg potatoes, dry and aged
1 egg, beaten
3 tbsp smooth Dijon mustard
200g flour
Salt
2 tsp olive oil
100g parmesan, grated
200g flour for kneading
6 tbsp mustard powder
1 tsp nutmeg
Cook the potatoes in their skins by either boiling or baking them until cooked through. Do not overcook them or they will fall apart and absorb too much water, and you want to reduce the water content. Peel and mash the potatoes while still hot (a potato ricer is brilliant for this, as it improves the evaporation of moisture) Do not ever use a food processor or you will end up with a sticky, gluey mess. Once the potatoes are cold, in a large bowl mix in the egg, Dijon mustard first amount of flour, the salt, olive oil and parmesan cheese. Mix well and then turn it out onto the kitchen bench and continue to knead while adding the remaining flour, mustard powder and nutmeg. This should take about 10 minutes and the resulting should be slightly elastic and smooth. Roll the dough into long sausages about 1.5cm in diameter and cut 2cm lengths. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the gnocchi in small batches and removing them from the water as they rise to the surface. Plunge them into a bowl of iced water to cool, and then drain them and toss in a little oil to prevent them from sticking.
To finish
2 cups of Swiss brown mushrooms
3 rashers of smoked bacon
1 small black pudding, peeled and crumbled
3 tbsp unsalted butter
12 small carrots, cooked
12 baby beetroot, peeled and cooked
12 baby onions, cooked
2 cups cooked gnocchi
2 sprigs of thyme
A handful of parsley, chopped finely
1 cup chicken stock
1 bunch Cavolo Nero or spinach, cooked and drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Wash and quarter the mushrooms, and slice the bacon into 1cm chunks. Melt the butter in a large frying pan and when it begins to foam add the bacon and black pudding. Cook until the bacon is crispy and fragrant. Stir in the carrots, beetroot and onions, Add the gnocchi and continue to cook until it is golden brown and then add the mushrooms and cook until they are nice and soft. Add the thyme, parsley and chicken stock. Simmer for 5 minutes while the chicken stock reduces. Roughly chop the cavolo nero or spinach and stir into the reduced sauce. Taste for salt and pepper and serve.
