OMG Carrot bloomin’ gnocchi is incredible.
I’ve experimented on your behalf and these are astoundingly good. Extreme comfort food but without any flour!
You will need:
400g trimmed and peeled CARROTS – get the best you can here. They are the hero of the dish…
1 tablespoon OLIVE OIL
1 knob BUTTER (for the onions)
SALT and freshly ground BLACK PEPPER
1 SHALLOT or half a medium sized ONION – finely diced
2 EGG YOLKS
250g RICOTTA CHEESE – if it’s a bit sloppy, drain some of the extra liquid off.
75g PARMESAN Cheese – finely grated plus extra for grating liberally over your finished dish.
Pinch NUTMEG
40g GROUND ALMONDS (You can use any plain flour here if you feel like it. – if it’s wheat flour or gluten free flour, just use 30g)
Small handful of FRESH HERBS- Use whatever you have, TARRAGON is best in my book but I’m willing to be astounded by your combinations…
1-2 tablespoons BUTTER
METHOD
OVEN 200 ˚C
- Place your prepped Carrots (no need to slice) on a baking sheet and smother in the olive oil, salt and pepper. Give it all a loving massage. Roast at 200˚C for around 40mins until slightly caramelised and beginning to turn a little golden.
- Place your finely diced shallots/onion in a saucepan with the butter on a low heat to soften completely. This will take at least 10 mins. Make sure you don’t get any colour on them.
- Combine with the carrots once out of the oven and once cool, whizz to a slightly lumpy puree in your food processor. (You can mash them with a fork for a more rustic consistency.)
- Turn the oven down to 190˚C
- Fold in the ricotta, egg yolks, fresh herbs and ground almonds and parmesan.
- Shape into little balls with your hands coated in ground almonds or if you are feeling fancy, you can quenelle each one with a couple of teaspoons, dust them in more ground almonds and place separately on a tray (not touching or they will stick together.)
- Bring a large pan of water to a rolling boil, add a good pinch or three of salt (it should be as salty as the sea.) and drop the gnocchi into the boiling water. Bring it back to the boil and wait about 5 mins – when magically, the gnocchi will start to float one by one to the surface. At this point, remove to the original baking tray with a slotted spoon.
- Meanwhile, melt your butter. drizzle it over the freshly poached gnocchi, sprinkle with extra parmesan and place in your oven (now at 190˚C) for around 15-20mins.
- Serve in little piles with melted butter drizzled over the top and more parmesan and fresh herbs should you be feeling extra sassy, like I was. (Always…)
