Roasted parsnip gnocchi

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Toss the parsnips in the extra-virgin olive oil and season well with salt. Arrange in a single layer on a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes, turning halfway, until cooked through and a little charred at the edges.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the slaw. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the hazelnut oil, cider vinegar, mustard, apple juice and a pinch of salt. Check the seasoning – it can take quite a big pinch of salt. Add the cabbage, apple and both seeds, then toss with gentle hands. Set aside to mingle while you make the gnocchi.
3. Once cooked, tip the parsnips into a food processor and whizz to a purée. Add the egg yolk, flour and a little salt, then whizz again briefly until the mixture forms a soft, sticky dough.
Recipe continues after advertising
Advertisement
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and, taking a quarter of the dough at a time, roll out thick ropes approximately 15mm in diameter. It’s messy, but a light touch will help. Cut the ropes into rectangular ‘pillows’, dusting with a little flour as you go to prevent sticking. You can roll each pillow over a gnocchi board or the back of a fork for the traditional look, if you like.
5. To cook the gnocchi, plunge them into a pan of salted, boiling water for 2 minutes. Meanwhile melt the butter in a frying pan. The gnocchi are cooked when they float to the surface, at which point you can fish them out with a slotted spoon and transfer them to the frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the sage and fry everything for 3-5 minutes until the gnocchi are golden and the sage is crisp.
6. Serve the rich, buttery, nutty gnocchi scattered with the thyme, with the crisp slaw on the side for contrast.