Parsnip gnocchi with nutmeg & thyme butter
Ready in one hour plus cooling time | Serves 4 | V
Ingredients:
4 small parsnips
1¼ cups wholemeal self-raising flour
2/3 cup finely grated parmesan
Pinch each of salt and ground white pepper, to season
100g butter, chopped
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, plus extra to serve
1 medium lemon, zest cut into long, thin strips
½ cup shaved parmesan
Lemon cheeks, to serve
Step-by-step method
1. Preparing parsnips
Peel and trim parsnips, reserving the peel. Cut peeled parsnips into large equal-sized chunks to ensure that the parsnip cooks evenly. Cook parsnip in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 15 minutes or until very tender. Drain thoroughly; cool for 10 minutes.
You can shallow-fry the reserved peel to make crisps for a snack, or a crunchy garnish topping for pasta or salads.
2. Making dough
Mash parsnip until smooth or push parsnip through a ricer into a bowl – this will make a velvety smooth mash. Sift flour over parsnip, adding to bowl with the grated parmesan. Season with the salt and pepper, before mixing to a soft dough.
3. Shaping gnocchi
Divide the parsnip dough into two equal portions. Using lightly floured hands, on a clean, flat work surface, roll each portion into a 20cm-long log, about 2cm thick, making sure the log is of even thickness. Using a sharp knife dusted in flour to make cutting easy, cut each log into 4cm pieces.
4. Cooking gnocchi
Cook gnocchi, in batches, in a large saucepan of boiling water for 2 minutes or until gnocchi floats to the surface. Remove gnocchi from pan with a slotted spoon; transfer to warm shallow serving bowls. You can warm bowls by placing them in a microwave on High for 30 seconds.
5. Nutmeg & thyme butter
Stir butter, garlic, nutmeg and thyme in a small saucepan over medium heat for 3 minutes or until browned lightly. Lightly ‘burning’ the butter will enhance the flavour and give a slightly nutty taste.
6. Serving gnocchi
After adding zest and seasoning the nutmeg and thyme butter, drizzle butter over the gnocchi. Top with shaved parmesan and extra fresh thyme leaves. Serve with lemon cheeks.
