Ingredients

Method

For the gnocchi
• 800 g potatoes, unpeeled
• 1 free-range egg
• 300 g cake flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 t freshly ground nutmeg
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Parmesan, grated, for serving
For the sage butter:
• 125 g butter
• 8 leaves sage
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 lemon, juiced
• 1 red chilli, chopped (optional)
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

Ingredients

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the potatoes on a baking tray and roast for 45 minutes, or until tender. Cut each potato in half and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Put the potato flesh through a potato ricer twice (this will ensure a silky-smooth consistency).
2. Add the egg, flour and nutmeg, and season to taste. Mix gently. The mixture should be soft.
3. Gently flour a surface and your hands, take a handful of potato and gently roll into a log – use just enough flour. The log should be about 2 cm thick. Using a sharp knife, cut off pieces about 2 cm in length – don’t let
   them touch each other – and continue until you have used up all the dough.
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook 10 gnocchi at a time. Remove using a slotted spoon when they rise to the surface.

To make the sage butter, melt the butter with the sage in a pan. Add the garlic and cook until the butter turns golden brown. Squeeze in the lemon juice and add the chilli, if using. Season to taste.

To serve, place the gnocchi on a platter and spoon over the sage butter. Scatter with Parmesan.

This recipe is featured in The Great South African Cookbook, a one-of-a-kind collection of dishes that covers the full range of South Africans’ palates.

TASTE contributors Abigail Donnelly, Siba Mtongana and Phillippa Cheifitz all feature in the book.Win a copy of The Great South African Cookbook here (competition closes 24 July 2016).