Thursday 17 June 2010

Spinach Gnocchi

I first saw it this recipe on Oliver Rowe's 'Urban Chef' programme a few years back, and rediscovered it saved in my computer documents recently! Oliver set out to open a restaurant in London sourcing its ingredients only from inside the M25, and it was a really interesting series, although I do remember watching the bit about the mushroom farm under a motorway and being more than a little concerned about environmental pollutants...

Anyway, this recipe was somewhat more time consuming and fussy than most dinners I make, and I had a small issue with the consistency of the mixture, but it tasted so, so good - really rich and indulgent and classy. Will definitely make again. Not too often though - it's packed with vast amounts of cheese, butter and cream!


Spinach Gnocchi with Mushroom Sauce
(serves two)
  • Steam 250g spinach, refresh in cold water, and squeeze the water out. Do not rush this step - get your hands in there and make sure it's as dry as you can get it!
  • Chop the spinach finely, then add to a pan with 15g butter and 150g ricotta cheese over a lowish heat. Let everything soften and mix it together well.
  • Take it off the heat, add 50g parmesan, an egg and 2 tbsps flour, and season.
  • Spread the mixture out on a plate and chill in the fridge for half an hour.

  • Meanwhile, finely chop 250g mushrooms, a couple of shallots and a couple of cloves of garlic.
  • Fry the shallots and garlic gently in 15g butter of butter until soft, then add the mushrooms and seasoning, and stir in.
  • Add 75ml white wine, increase the heat, and simmer a few minutes.
  • Then add 100ml double cream and a pinch of nutmeg. Leave simmering gently while you make the gnocchi...
  • With generously floured hands, mould the spinach mixture into tablespoon-sized dumplings and set them on a floured plate. (This is where I started running into trouble - the mixture was much too wet to work with easily. My immediate thought was that there should be more flour in the mix, but in retrospect I probably just didn't drain that spinach well enough!)
  • Place the dumplings, in batches, into boiling water for 3-4 minutes until they rise to the surface. Then lift them out with a slotted spoon and place on an oiled baking tray.


  • When they're all cooked, drizzle a little melted butter over the dumplings, sprinkle with parmesan, and place under a hot grill. (I had to reshape mine somewhat at this stage too, but hopefully if your mixture isn't so sloppy they will hold together better!)
  • When they brown on top, remove from the grill and serve with the mushroom sauce on top. I recommend some crusty bread to mop up with as well!

2 comments:

dee said...

I remember that series! Yes. Growing mushrooms under the north circular seemed a bit crazy.. I wonder who thought that one up? chef, gardener, tv producer..
All those yummy ingredients I would have to restrict making it also. Not fair is it!

Shaheen said...

I too remember the series and some of the recipes, which I have to admit made me go Yum.

I really do like the looks of your plate, and have to admit yes it is very dairy rich. So may just give it one go when I have a little more time to potter in the kitchen. Your right its certainly not a dish to make that often, but one to try for the gnocchi if nothing else. Esp as spinach is in season.

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