Handmade Gnocchi with Peas and Speck

Cook Time 40 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

1kg Sebago potatoes
1 egg
½ cup plain flour
150g piece of speck, rind removed, cut into 5mm batons (see note)
½ cup frozen baby peas
½ cup thickened cream
Sea salt flakes
Ground white pepper
40g parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Method

Peel the potatoes and cut in half if they are large.  Try to have them all a similar size so they will cook at the same time.  Place in a large pot of salted water and bring to the boil.  Boil for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes, or until a skewer easily goes into them.

Drain the potatoes.  Make sure they are very dry.  Put the potatoes through a potato ricer or a mesh sieve.  It is important that they are mashed very finely.  Scatter the flour over the potatoes, add the egg, and stir with a wooden spoon until it comes together in a dough.

Flour a work surface and turn the dough out.  If it is very sticky, add a little more flour.  Gently knead the dough for only as long as is necessary to bring it together in a smooth mass.  Roll the dough into a large sausage and cut it into eight pieces.  Roll one piece into a sausage about the thickness of your thumb and cut into 2cm lengths.  Roll into a ball and then gently roll the ball down the tines of a fork.  Place the gnocchi onto a heavily floured tray.  Repeat this process with the remaining pieces of dough.

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil.  Drop the gnocchi in.  In a couple of minutes, they will start to bob to the surface.  Once they are floating, they are cooked.  Lift very gently out of the water with a wooden spoon and drain.

Place the speck in a fry pan over medium- high heat.  Cook until the fat is rendering out and the speck starting to turn golden.  Tip the gnocchi into the pan with the peas and cream, and toss to coat.   Taste, and season with salt and pepper.  Serve into warmed bowls and top with parmesan.

Note:  If speck is not available, bacon can be used instead.