Sautéed Neapolitan Gnocchi with Mushroom Ragù
Gemma created this dish for Masterchef UK Professionals Season 18. A fully plant-based celebration of Neapolitan heritage that received unanimous praise from all three judges and no criticism whatsoever - the only dish in the episode to achieve this. Flour-and-water gnocchi made in the ancient Neapolitan way, predating potato gnocchi by centuries, sautéed until crispy outside and chewy within, served with a deeply earthy mushroom ragù, seared and crushed forest mushrooms, crispy sage, wild garlic oil, and an einkorn tuile that mimics parmesan's salty crunch. Marcus Wareing admitted he would never normally choose gnocchi but absolutely loved this dish. Monica Galetti praised it as a gutsy, earthy, rustic taste of Gemma's heritage. Gemma went straight through to the quarterfinals. Chef's Notes Why this dish received unanimous praise, and why it matters: This was the only dish in Episode 4 to receive no criticism whatsoever from any judge. What made it exceptional wasn't technical comple…
- Time: 105 min
Source: Relaxed Recipes
Ingredients
- MAKE THE WILD GARLIC OIL
- Bring a small pan of water to a rapid boil. Blanch the wild garlic leaves for 10
- Place the blanched leaves in a blender with the olive oil and a pinch of salt. B
- MAKE THE EINKORN TUILE
- Preheat the oven to 170°C fan . Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat
- Whisk the egg white until just frothy . Whisk in the sugar, salt and nutritional
- Using the back of a spoon or a small offset spatula, spread the batter into very
- Bake for 8–10 minutes until golden and set. Watch closely — einkorn browns faste
- MAKE THE NEAPOLITAN GNOCCHI DOUGH
- Combine the flour, semolina and salt in a large bowl or on a clean work surface.
- Once cool enough to handle, turn out and knead firmly for 8–10 minutes until smo
- Wrap tightly in cling film and rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes
- SHAPE THE GNOCCHI
- Unwrap the dough and cut into manageable pieces. Roll each piece into a rope abo
- Press each piece with your thumb or two fingertips and drag it toward you across
- MAKE THE MUSHROOM RAGÙ
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pan over high heat. Add the diced portobell
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the shallots and cook for 3–4 minutes until softe
- Deglaze with the wine, scraping up all the fond from the bottom of the pan. Let
- SEAR THE FOREST MUSHROOMS
- Tear the hen of the woods and other mushrooms into rustic pieces — varying sizes
- Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat until just smoking. Add the
- MAKE THE CRISPY SAGE
- Heat olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the s
- COOK AND SAUTÉ THE GNOCCHI
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Drop in the gnocchi an
- Heat the reserved sage-infused oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high hea
- ASSEMBLE AND SERVE
- Spoon a generous amount of mushroom ragù into the centre of each warm plate or s
- Scatter the seared forest mushrooms around and over, pressing some into the ragù
- Drizzle the wild garlic oil in a ring around the edge of the plate and directly