Ingredients
Serves 4 people
600g Blue Moon, King Edward or Desiree potatoes, washed
black fermented garlic, 4 cloves, peeled
1 extra small egg, lightly beaten
150g flour
good pinch salt
freshly cracked black pepper
75-100g unsalted butter, chopped into cubes
Parmigiano cheese, grated, to serve
freshly ground black pepper
Method
Place the potatoes in a large pot of water, cover and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a steady simmer and cook about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Quickly peel them and put them through a potato ricer (or hand mash them finely), adding the garlic cloves as you go. Use your hands to distrubute the black cloves – it is fine to leave some larger pieces of garlic as well.
Whilst the potatoes are still warm, lightly flour a work surface, make a well in the centre and add the egg (or half a large egg if you don’t have small ones). Incorporate this into the surrounding potato and then scatter on half of the flour and a good pinch of salt. Bring everything together, kneading a bit if needed and adding a bit more flour, but only enough to make a cohesive dough. Don’t work the gnocchi dough too much and form a log.
Use a bit more of the remaining flour to scatter on a clean work surface. Cut off a portion of dough and make it into a rope. Cut the rope into pieces that are about 3cm long, scatter a bit more flour and using your thumb, roll the portions onto the back of a fork. (Gnocchi that are rolled this way will catch more sauce although this step is not essential).
Lay the prepared gnocchi to one side, scattering on a bit more flour and cover with a clean teatowel (to prevent them from drying out). Repeat until all gnocchi are made.
Place the butter in a large frypan on medium heat and cook until it starts turning brown.
Boil a pot of salted water. Cook no more than a third of the gnocchi at a time, adding them to the boiling water and cooking for a few minutes until they rise to the surface. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon, making sure excess water drains off and drop them in the pan with the brown butter. Toss and serve on warmed plates. Scatter on plenty of Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper.