Cooking a vegetarian dish from Jervois Steak House may be a culinary paradox but here the gastronomic gamble pays off. Combining the beauty of perfectly garlicky greens with creamy whipped feta and a broccoli purée, served with the golden pan-fried gnocchi, this is a meat-free triumph.
JSH’s Potato Gnocchi, Whipped Feta, Sautéed Garlic Greens Recipe
Serves 4
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Ingredients
Potato gnocchi
1 kg potatoes (750g of purée required for gnocchi recipe — at Jervois Steak House Agria potatoes are used for this recipe thanks to their starch)
100g parmesan
1 pinch fresh nutmeg
1 Tbsp EVO oil
2 egg yolks
1 tsp salt
200g pasta flour
Garlic greens
8ea spears of broccolini
8ea leaves of cavolo nero
1 garlic clove, crushed
Knob of butter
1 cup peas
1 cup broad beans
Broccoli purée
1 head of broccoli
25g butter + more for cooking
Salt + pepper for seasoning
200g goat feta
100g parmigiana reggiano
Extra virgin olive oil, to serve
Method
Potato gnocchi
1. Bake the potatoes on rock salt until soft and cooked through. Remove the flesh of the potato and push through a sieve. Cool the potato on a tray with cling wrap directly on top so it doesn’t sweat.
2. Put a pot of salted water on the stove to simmer and ready a bowl of iced water.
3. Place the cold potato in a bowl and mix in the parmesan, nutmeg, olive oil, egg yolks and salt. Then, add the flour to form a dough.
4. Roll the dough on a floured surface into logs so you can cut pillows. Make the pillows approx. 1 inch long with the diameter of $2 NZ coin.
5. Cook in simmering water until they float to the top. Scoop off and plunge into the iced water. Once the gnocchi is cool remove from the iced water, otherwise they will keep absorbing water.
6. Transfer to tray with a kitchen towel on it, to dry them off.
Whipped feta
Allow a block of feta to come to room temperature and place in a food mixer. Beat the cheese until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag and keep out of the fridge until you are ready to serve.
Broccoli purée + caramelised stalks
1. Bring a pot of salted water to boil.
2. Remove the florets from the head of broccoli but keep the stalks. Over-blanch the florets for approx. 4-5 minutes.
3. Once cooked through, strain and transfer while hot to a blender and puree with 25g of butter. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
4. Cut the remaining stalks in half and heat a medium-sized pot. Add a spoon of butter and place the stalks cut side down and lightly caramelise for 4-5 minutes on medium heat with the lid on.
5. Add approx. 250ml of water to the pot and replace the lid to steam the broccoli stalks the rest of the way for 3 minutes. Once cooked cut the halves in to two pieces so that you have four pieces. Keep aside before serving.
Garlic greens
1. Put a pot of salted water on to boil. Once boiling, blanch the broccolini and the cavolo nero for 2 minutes, then strain.
2. Place the pot back on the stove with a knob of butter and a crushed garlic clove.
3. Return the greens to the pot and add the peas and broad beans, sauteeing until the whole thing has come together.
To serve
1. Re-heat the broccoli puree in a small pot.
2. Pan-fry the gnocchi in light olive oil to caramelise.
3. Spoon the broccoli stalks on to the plate along with some of the puree. Top that with the greens and pan-fried gnocchi, then pipe some of the whipped feta in the nooks and crannies.
4. To finish, top with Parmigiana Reggiano and, if you like, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
