Nettle gnocchi with fois gras cream and grape caviar
Item 1 of 1
- medium
- 4
- 60 minutes
Francesco Bracali embraces the often overlooked nettle to add an earthy green element to his striking gnocchi recipe. Served with a rich foie gras cream, the dish is lightened slightly with bursts of grape caviar – vibrant little spheres of delicate purple juice solidified in sunflower oil. Take a look at our how to make gnocchi guide for tips on tackling the dish from scratch.
First published in 2016
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Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
Nettle gnocchi
Grape caviar
- 200g of black grape juice
- 2g of agar agar
- sunflower oil, chilled
Caramelised onion powder
- 2 onions, thinly sliced on a mandolin
- 200g of sugar
- 100g of water
To serve
- 100ml of vegetable stock
- 50g of butter
- 1 tbsp of grated Parmesan
- 1 tbsp of pistachio nuts, finely chopped
- 1 handful of nettle leaves
- olive oil
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
SAVE RECIPE
Equipment
- Dehydrator
- Food processor
- Thermometer
- Pipettes
Method
1
The day before serving, prepare the nettle and onions to make the powders. Make a syrup for the caramelised onions by placing the sugar and water in a small pan and bringing to the boil. Allow to bubble for a few minutes until syrupy
- 200g of sugar
- 100g of water
2
Add the onion slices and cook for a few more minutes until slightly softened and coated in the syrup, then drain any excess syrup and spread the slices out across a baking tray
- 2 onions, thinly sliced on a mandolin
3
On a separate baking tray, spread out the nettles in a single layer. Place both trays in a dehydrator set on a very low heat and allow to dry out completely overnight
- 1 bunch of nettle leaves
4
Once dry, blend the dried onions in a food processor or spice grinder to form a fine powder and store in an airtight container until required. Repeat the process with the nettle leaves, then measure out 2 tablespoons of the nettle powder to make the gnocchi
6
Place the potatoes for the gnocchi in a pan of salted water and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Cook for 10–15 minutes, or until very soft when pierced with a knife
- 750g of potatoes, peeled and chopped
7
Place the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bowl. Gently warm the cream through, stirring occasionally until the mixture reaches 85°C. Remove the bowl from the het and keep warm until ready to serve
8
Meanwhile, place the grape juice and agar agar in a small pan and whisk together over a high heat. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat
- 200g of black grape juice
- 2g of agar agar
9
Fill a bowl with cold sunflower oil. Use a pipette or syringe to suck up the grape juice, squirting individual droplets into the oil so that they solidify in the oil to form caviar. Repeat with the rest of the juice, then drain the solid drops from the oil. Rinse the caviar spheres under cold water and set aside until serving
- sunflower oil, chilled
10
Drain the potatoes and mash until smooth. Allow to cool slightly, then transfer the mashed potato to a bowl with both flours and 2 tablespoons of the nettle powder. Crack in the egg and add a pinch of salt, then mix well and begin to bring the mixture together by hand until fully incorporated into a dough
- 170g of flour
- 130g of cornflour
- 1 egg
- salt
11
Gently knead the dough until smooth, then roll the out into a long cylinder and cut into 2cm portions. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil over a medium heat and cook the gnocchi for 2–3 minutes, or until they start to float to the surface
12
Drain the gnocchi and set aside while adding the vegetable stock and butter to a clean pan. Whisk together over a medium heat until emulsified, then add the gnocchi to the pan and stir until fully coated in the butter emulsion. Remove from the heat, stir through the Parmesan and season to taste
- 100ml of vegetable stock
- 50g of butter
- 1 tbsp of grated Parmesan
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
13
To prepare the nettle garnish, heat a little olive oil in a frying pan over a high heat. Add the nettle leaves and quickly fry for 30 seconds, leaving to drain on kitchen paper until ready to serve
- olive oil
- 1 handful of nettle leaves
14
To serve, spoon the warm foie gras cream over serving plates and top with the gnocchi. Sprinkle over some of the caramelised onion powder, the grape caviar and the chopped pistachio nuts, garnishing each plate with a few fried nettle leaves
- 1 tbsp of pistachio nuts, finely chopped
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