Lamb Gnocchi

Winter is knocking, which means comfort food by the fire. Pop open the red wine, don your fluffy slippers and keep the house warm with soups and broths and gumbos and roiling stocks.

There’s something super comforting about slow cooked meat and gnocchi. Those fluffy potato pillows cut through the rich, slow cooked meat, sticky with red wine and its own stock. Shower both with a good hunk of pecorino, some fresh herbs, and you’ve got yourself the perfect winter warmer.

Back in my days as a chef, I made a lot of gnocchi. I can still remember peeling the bags of potatoes, to then boil them and have to push them all through the ricer, adding flour and then rolling them into massive snakes. We’d have a competition as to who could cut the gnocchi fastest with the scraper.

Once we’d cut them, they’d sit in a big pile of flour. We’d boil them until they floated, and then there were bowls of iced water — once they were cooked, they’d go straight into here to cool down. Then, we’d dry them and transfer to a container. Then, we’d caramelise them in a pan with oil and butter before they’d make their way into the sauce.

To be honest, it’s probably my favourite way to cook gnocchi. Gnudi or cheesy varieties aside, some fat and caramelisation gives them a lovely texture and flavour.

Are there any secrets? Not really, only to find the best quality potatoes you can. La ratte are, inarguably, the best for gnocchi, in my humble opinion.

Ingredients:

• Slow cooked lamb (this can be leftover, or slow cook a shoulder or leg as needed. Check out my Flatbread here for a slow cooked lamb recipe)

• 1kg La Ratte Potatoes (or Russett, or something similar)

• 2 cups ‘00’ flour 

• 1 egg

• 1 brown onion, finely diced

• 2 cloves of garlic, finely diced

• Fresh tomato sauce, or a decent chunky tomato sauce / passata 

• Fresh parsley / basil / thyme

• Pecorino, to grate

Method

• To make gnocchi, cut your potatoes in half and bring to the boil in a saucepan with a good pinch of salt. When they’re fully cooked and beginning to break apart, drain the potatoes and peel away the skins.

• Push the potatoes through a sieve, making a mash. This takes time and love, but it’s worth it. Once all of the potato is through the sieve and in a bowl, mix in the egg and flour and roll into a dough. Once formed, break into sections and roll the dough on a well-floured surface into a ‘snake’ — move your palms back and forth, until you have a long snake-like piece of dough you can cut into chunks.

• Keep flour on cut gnocchi. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add the gnocchi and cook until they float. Once they come to the surface, let them sit there another minute at most. Then add to a bowl of iced water. Add to a container. Gnocchi can be made a day in advance, if necessary.

• In a separate pan, saute garlic and onion in olive oil until soft. Add slow cooked lamb and tomato sauce and let the flavours fuse together.

• Get another pan very hot. Then add a little vegetable oil and a tablespoon of butter and the gnocchi. Flip every twenty seconds or so. You want the gnocchi to caramelise but not burn. Once they have a nice brownness on the outside, add to the pan with the sauce.

• Serve into bowls and top with pecorino and fresh herbs.

For me, this screams for some kind of cabernet blend. It goes well with the lamb and the acidity of the tomatoes. I’m thinking more a Caberent Franc or a blend, or even a Brunello di Montalcino or a lighter, spicier Tempranillo. Go with your gut here … some fruit, spice and vibrant acidity will work well with this dish.