Barley Gnocchi With Watercress Sauce Recipes

WATERCRESS GNOCCHI WITH ROASTED RADISHES & LEMON

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Pierce the potatoes with a sharp knife and bake for around 1 hr until a skewer slides through without resistance. Leave to cool, then peel and mash into a bowl. Add the parmesan and lightly mix. Season with plenty of salt, pepper and a little freshly grated nutmeg.
• Put the watercress in a sieve and pour a kettle of boiling water over it. Allow to cool for a couple of mins, then squeeze out any excess moisture and blitz in a blender. Once cool, mix with the potatoes, along with the ricotta and egg yolks and sieve in the flour. Mix lightly with your hands to form a dough. Roll the dough, a quarter at a time, into long thin sausages on a floured surface, and use a sharp knife to cut a few lines widthways on each one.
• Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the thyme and radishes and fry for about 5-8 mins until coloured. Tip half the gnocchi into the salted water and boil until they float to the top (about 3 mins). Fish them out carefully with a slotted spoon and put them on a plate. Repeat with the remaining gnocchi.
• Add a knob of butter to the radish pan and tip in the boiled gnocchi. Fry until starting to colour, about 3 mins. Season, add the lemon zest and squeeze over the lemon juice, and grate in a little parmesan. Divide between plates and top with more parmesan and a good grating of black pepper.

BARLEY GNOCCHI WITH WATERCRESS SAUCE RECIPE

Steps:

• (4 servings) In a small saucepan, combine the barley. 3½ cups water and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and continue to simmer until liquid has absorbed, about an hour. Uncover and let the barley cool. You will have 3 Meanwhile to make the sauce, discard the tough stems from the watercress and basil and rip them into tiny pieces. Do not chop with a knife or in a processor because they could turn brown around the edges. Scoop them into a 9-inch glass pie dish and add the shallots, oil and butter. Cover with vented plastic wrap and microwave on full power until the greens have wilted, about 1½ minutes. Remove the sauce to a dish and keep it warm. To make the gnocchi, scoop the barley (remove and discard the bay leaf), scallions, oregano, parsley and flour into a processor and whiz until a ball of dough is formed, about 10 seconds. Then wet your hands and shape the dough into firm, walnut- sized balls; you will have about 20. Meanwhile pour the stock into a 9-inch glass pie dish, cover with a plate and heat for a couple of minutes to get the chill off. When the gnocchi are ready, set them into the dish, cover again and microwave on full power until they are heated though and slightly shiny, about 3 minutes. Do not over-microwave or the gnocchi will fall apart. When the gnocchi are ready, immediately remove them from the stock and arrange them in 4 shallow bowls. Scoop on some sauce and swirl the gnocchi around so they are coated. Serve warm as an appetizer or first course. Per serving: 301 calories, 9 gm protein, 48 gm carbohydrates, 8 gm fat, 3 gm saturated fat, 9 mg cholesterol, 415 mg sodium.