POTATO GNOCCHI WITH LEEKS AND BACON

Now we are talking my language, this combination needs little explaining as this just works!

Serves 4

1kg floury potatoes, agria or desiree

4 egg yolks

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp salt

1 ½ cups flour

30g butter

4-6 rashers bacon, sliced into strips

2 leeks, washed and finely sliced

2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly

4 sprigs fresh thyme

Freshly grated parmesan to serve

Method

You can either prick your washed potatoes all over and microwave until tender or you can place the whole unpeeled potatoes into a suitable size pot and cover generously with water and cook until tender (about 30-40 minutes).

In a small bowl mix together the parmesan, nutmeg, pepper and egg yolks, set aside.

Meanwhile place a large frypan onto heat, add the butter and bacon and allow to sizzle and lightly colour.  Add the leeks, garlic and thyme and cook gently for 5 minutes or until the leeks are tender and the bacon is golden. Set aside.

Place a large pot of water on to the boil and season generously with salt.

When the potatoes are cooked carefully remove their skins and place into a bowl.  To get the best results push them through a ricer or mouli if you don’t have either push them through a sieve.  Place the potato directly onto your work surface and sprinkle over half teaspoon salt and lightly mix.  Add the egg and cheese mixture and mix through.  At this stage your mixture will quite sticky so don’t worry.  Sprinkle over ½ cup flour and knead through, check the mixture by rolling a little ball in your hands if the mixture is still very sticky add ¼ to ½ cup of flour and knead once again until you get a smooth, moist dough that can easily be handled.

Divide the dough into four and begin with one part. Roll this out into a thick rope shape length about 3cm in diameter.  Now cut this into 2-3 cm lengths all the way to the end.  Sprinkle a little flour on you bench and holding a fork with the prongs resting on the surface and the base is turned upwards, roll each gnocchi down the fork. This gives the gnocchi little indents that will allow the sauce to stick!