Prep time 35 minutes
Cooking time 80 minutes
Ingredients
800g agria potatoes
130g flour
130g fine semolina
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper
1 pinch nutmeg
1 egg
50g Parmesan, grated
1 tsp rosemary, chopped
Pea pesto
150g fresh peas
1 clove garlic, peeled
salt and pepper to taste
2 bunch pea shoots
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
50g pine nuts, toasted
zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp lemon juice
100g extra virgin olive oil
Method
For the gnocchi: Put the potatoes on a tray in the middle of the oven on 160degC.
Bake until they are knife-tender, about 50-60 minutes.
Let the potatoes cool so you can handle them. Peel them.
Put the potatoes through a ricer or food mill while they are still warm.
Spread the riced potatoes on a cookie sheet or a flat baking pan in a single layer to cool and allow some of the moisture to evaporate. The drier the riced potatoes, the lighter the dough will be.
Bring a big pot of very well-salted water to a boil.
Put the riced potatoes in a mound on a flat work surface. Create a well in the middle.
Crack the egg into the well. Beat the egg, add the grated Parmesan, salt, nutmeg, pepper and the rosemary.
Slowly start to incorporate the egg into the ring of riced potato.
When fully incorporated, spread the mixture and sprinkle some of the flour over the top.
Knead the flour and the semolina into the potato mixture, until the dough holds together and is smooth and soft.
Sprinkle some flour on the work surface so the dough doesn't stick. Knead the dough to create a smooth dough ball.
Cut the dough ball into 6 pieces and roll each piece into a rope of 1cm diameter.
Cut the rope into 1cm pieces. Spread the gnocchi on a floured flat baking pan as you make them.
Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water, gently stir to make sure they don't stick together and gently boil the gnocchi until they rise to the top.
Serve with pea pesto and vegetables.
For the pea pesto:
Blanch peas for 30 seconds in boiling water and shock in ice water.
Place peas, garlic, salt, pepper, pea shoots, parsley, pine nuts, lemon zest and lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse a few times until everything is chopped.
While the food processor is running, slowly stream in olive oil and blend until everything is incorporated into a smooth pesto. Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a spatula and pulse once more to incorporate.
Recipe provided by Hannes Bareiter, from Glenfalloch Restaurant and Gardens. Recipe requested by Gwenda Hollick, of Waihola.
If you have enjoyed a dish in an Otago cafe or restaurant and would like the recipe, write to Ask a Chef, Features, Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, Dunedin, or email odt.features@odt.co.nz, including your name, address and a daytime telephone number, and we will request it.
