Nettles, butter & sheep’s cheese gnocchi

Nettles, butter & sheep’s cheese gnocchi

Spring

This lovely, wintry supper is as much about the little baked potato and sheep’s cheese gnocchi as it is about the stinging nettles and the rich, salty butter. They are equals, or partners in a delicious crime. Gnocchi take a little time to prepare, but they are worth the effort. In fact, every time I make them, I’m shocked I don’t make them more. But if time is in question, you could serve the buttery tender nettles with pasta instead; a good pappardelle would be just right.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 500g (1lb 2oz) large Désirée potatoes, all roughly the same size, scrubbed
  • 150g (5½oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 35g (1¼oz) hard sheep’s cheese (such as pecorino), or Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra for serving
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 25g (1oz) butter
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 250g (9oz) nettle tops, tough lower stalks removed
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Heat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Bake the potatoes on the middle shelf of the oven for about 1 hour, until cooked through. Remove from the oven and, while the potatoes are still hot, halve them and spoon out the flesh into a sieve. Discard the skins.

To make the gnocchi, place the flour in a large mixing bowl, add the salt and grated cheese and lightly combine. Press the warm potato through the sieve into the bowl. Then, add the egg yolks and combine everything together with a light touch. If the dough seems too wet, add a shake more flour.

Tip out the gnocchi dough onto a floured surface. Shape it into a flattish rectangle, about 3cm (1¼in) thick, then use a knife to cut 3cm-wide (1¼in) lengths. Roll the lengths into sausages, each of about 1cm (½in) in diameter. Lay the sausages side by side, and cut them into 1.5cm-wide (⅝in) segments. Dust these with flour, and roll each over the tines of a fork, pressing your thumb into the back, so you have an indentation on one side and grooves on the other. Put the finished gnocchi on a flour-dusted baking tray.

When you’re ready to cook the gnocchi, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the gnocchi and cook for about 2 minutes, or until they rise to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon into a large, clean pan set over a low heat. Add the butter and olive oil.

Drop the nettles into the gnocchi boiling water and simmer for 2–3 minutes, until tender. Drain well – you might need to squeeze the nettles a little with the back of a spoon. Add the nettles to the pan of buttery gnocchi, season well, then toss everything together. Serve on warm plates with plenty more grated cheese and seasoning.

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