Potato Gnocchi

I get told quite often that cooking is hard, from partner and family members, but i always reply by saying its simply following a recipe. This gnocchi recipe is flexible and you can add your flavour easily. It use left over dry mash (what us chefs call mash potato with nothing added). So if you guys have made too much mash for Sunday dinner then don't throw it away, tub it up and use it for a quick and easy light Monday meal.

First off put a big pan of water on the stove and bring it to a simmer, whilst you follow this recipe. Makes about 2 generous portions. I am hoping to start making videos but my camera skills need work but I promise I'm working on it. I also have a little man running around all over the house.

300g dry mash - cooled (see above)

1 egg yolk (reserve white for another recipe, should last 2 days)

5ml Olive oil (or any flavoured oil of your choice, last night i used walnut oil)

12g Parmesan (or any hard cheese you have in the fridge)

65g All-purpose flour (or gram flour for gluten free)

6g Maldon sea salt

Add all ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix until ingredients all come together. Don't overwork it or the gluten and starch will change the texture.

Divide into 2 balls and roll out into 2cm thick sausages, you should have a strip about 30cm long. You may need a little flour for your work surface, just don't use too much.

Then take a knife or bread scraper and cut into small pieces roughly the size of a small cherry tomato. Now you can start cooking them or for a more appealing look you can roll them on a ridged gnocchi board.

Now the cooking, by now the pan of water should be simmering. Get a tub or big pan of cold water ready next to the stove. If you have some ice in the freezer even better. Add a few ice cubes to the cold water. Add half the gnocchi to the pan, don't stir just let them cook, when the all the gnocchi has come to the top of the water then use a slotted spoon to lift them into the cold water, taking extra care not to bring the hot water with you. Allow the hot pan to come back up to the boil then cook the other half, doing the same process.

The gnocchi in the cold pan should've sank to the bottom, you can now lift them out and lay them on a tray. Allowing you to put the next load into the cold water, add a few ice cubes if you have them should help keep the water cold. Wait for them to sink to the bottom and lift them out.

Remember gnocchi into hot water raises to the top, gnocchi in cold water sinks to the bottom.

You now have gnocchi ready for cooking with. Ready for sautéing with some shallots and herbs, great with some fresh fish. Simple cooking is always best.