Ingredients:

For the gnocchi:

·      870g potatoes (around 5 medium sized potatoes) – cleaned, skins on

·      1 egg – beaten

·      150g ‘00’ flour

·      generous sprinkle of salt

·      1tsp of black pepper

·      ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

For the cauliflower cheese purée:

·      1 medium head of cauliflower – stem cut out and finely sliced into 2mm slices

·      100ml water/splash

·      2 generous knobs of butter

·      A generous sprinkle of salt

·      Several turns of freshly ground black pepper

·      30g Grana Padano Riserva – finely grated 

To garnish:

·      A generous knob of butter

·      A generous sprinkle of salt

·      150-200g favorite mushrooms – cleaned and halved or quartered if large

·      Several sprigs of parsley – finely chopped

·      2 figs – quartered

·      30g Grana Padano Riserva – finely grated 

Method:

for the gnocchi:

Start by boiling the potatoes whole in salted water for around 35-40 minutes until soft While still hot past them through a ricer, then allow to cool. Add the freshly grated nutmeg, black pepper and salt to the potato. Next, beat your egg and make a well in the middle of the riced potato, scatter with flour and combine with a wooden spoon. Knead by hand for around a minute or two but be careful to avoid overworking the gnocchi. Separate into four pieces and use your hand to roll into a long sausage shape which is just under an inch thick. Take a knife and cut into equal sized pieces, you can decide on the size. Lightly cover with flour until ready to cook and serve. 

To cook simply bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook until the gnocchi float to the top of the pan. This should take around a minute or so. 

For the cauliflower and Grana Padano Riserva purée

Place a large saucepan over a medium to high heat and add your water, butter, finely sliced cauliflower and seasoning. Cover with a lid and cook/steam for around 6-7 minutes, keeping an eye on the pot just in case the water evaporates too quickly. Once the cauliflower is soft add the Grana Padano Riserva and carefully transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth. 

For the fried mushroom garnish:

Melt your butter over a medium to high heat and add your mushrooms cooking until golden and crisp before seasoning to taste. Once your gnocchi are cooked, toss them in with the mushrooms and butter. 

Plate up starting with a generous dollop of the cauliflower and Grana Padano Riserva purée, scatter over the gnocchi and mushrooms and finish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley, fresh figs and a generous grating of Grana Padano Riserva.