Potato Gnocchi with Walnut Pesto

Z, Xenia. 'Truth And Good Food'. Truthandgoodfood.files.wordpress.com. N.p., 2013. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.

Feature Ingredient: Capers and Parsley

Capers are the flower buds of the caper bush (Flinder's rose) and are generally used as seasoning or as a garnish. The caper bush also produces caper berries and leaves that are also used in cooking, such as salads and as a side dish/snack. The plant is native to the Mediterranean and some parts of Asia; they are commonly used in Mediterranean cuisine such as Italian (distinctive in southern Italian cooking especially) and Maltese, as the buds produced a sour and salty flavour to dishes and sauces. After being harvested, the capers are sun dried and then pickled in a vinegar, brine and salt mixture, this allows the buds to produce a tangy lemon flavour, similar to green olives. Capers are recorded in Ancient Greek cuisine, where the name also originates from, in the Greek word kápparis. Today, we'll be using the capers to make a pesto for our potato gnocchi.

Warner, Tera. 'Body Enlightenment'. Terawarner.com. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.

Another new ingredient we'll be using in the pesto is parsley; it too is native to the Mediterranean region and come as curly or flat-leaved parsley and also as a root! Today, parsley is widely used in many different cuisines such as Middle Eastern, Brazilian, European and American, where they are typically used as a garnish, in stock, sauces and soups. Parsley can also be used a main ingredient rather than a side ingredient, seen in the Lebanese dish Tabbouleh. 

Both of these ingredients will be used in today's gnocchi and pesto recipe; gnocchi is a soft dough dumpling originating from Italy, where they are used as an alternative to pasta. The original recipe I modified slightly is from the cookbook, A year full of recipes, check out their publisher's website www.parragon.com/lovefood.

Recipe: Potato Gnocchi with Walnut Pesto

Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

Potato gnocchi

900g floury potato, washed and cut into large chunks

100g parmesan, grated

2 eggs, beaten

200g plain flour, and extra for dusting

Walnut pesto

80g fresh flat-ear parsley, chopped

4 tbsp capers, rinsed

4 garlic cloves, diced

175ml extra virgin olive oil

80g parmesan, grated

salt and pepper

*special equipment - mortar and pestle

Method:

1. Boil the potatoes in their skins, in a large saucepans of lightly salted water for 15 - 25 minutes or until tender. Drain and leave to cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, to make the walnut pesto, add the parsley, capers, garlic, oil, walnuts, salt and pepper into a mortar. Pound with a pestle to a course paste, then add the parmesan cheese. 
3. Peel the skins off the potatoes and pass the flesh through a sieve and into a bowl. While still hot, season with salt and pepper and add the parmesan cheese. Beat in the eggs and sift in the flour; mix lightly and then knead until the mixture becomes a smooth dough. 
4. Roll the dough into a long log. Cut it into 2.5cm long pieces and gently press with a frock to give the traditional ridged effect. Transfer to a floured tray and cover with a clean tea towel.
5. Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi in small batches and cook for 2-3 minutes or until they rise to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a warm serving dish while you cook the remaining gnocchi. 
6. Serve the gnocchi in serving bowls with a spoonful of the walnut pesto on top.

Some photos of my process:

Boiling the potatoes in the water.

Drain the potatoes well and let them cool slightly.

Making the walnut pesto; spot the capers and parsley!

Instead of beating the eggs with the potatoes, beat them separately and then mix into the potato, so that the potato doesn't become a batter. Also, if you are having difficulty passing the potato through the sieve, it probably is because your potatoes are undercooked; boil them for 10 minutes longer. 

Sift in the flour gradually.

Roll the dough into a long piece and cut into smaller parts; use a fork to make the indents.

Alternatively, round of the individual pieces in your hand before making the indents.

The finished product: Potato gnocchi with walnut pesto!

Ratings/Comments:

Price: 2/5

Difficulty: 3/5

Taste: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

(1 being lowest/not good - 5 being highest/best)

The hot gnocchi paired with the cool pesto were an interesting combination - you could definitely taste the parsley. I think they would be suitable for an main or even an entrée if you're eager to start with something a bit more complicated. The hardest part in the recipe was passing the potatoes through the sieve! Next time, make sure that ALL your potatoes are soft before draining and "sieving" them. However, once the dough is formed it can be stored/frozen for several days so its really worth the struggle. Some cool variations to gnocchi are adding herbs and other vegetables into the dough, which would make an interesting colour combo; here are some pictures:

Beetroot gnocchi!

Vanilla, Coconut. 'Coconut & Vanilla'. Coconutandvanilla.com. N.p., 2015. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.

Spinach gnocchi!

Walker, Chris, and Harald Walker. 'Vegalicious'. Vegalicious.org. N.p., 2014. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.

I hope you try this recipe out and have lots of fun at it!

- C