Sweet or savoury potato gnocchi

Serves 6 Starters and mains

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Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/ 160C F/Gas 4. Jab the potatoes a couple of times with a fork, then bake for around 45 minutes to 1hr until completely soft. Remove from the oven and, once cool enough to handle, cut them open and scoop out the fluffy potato – you’ll end up with around 450g. Pass through a ricer over a large bowl or give them a quick mash to get a lighter texture, but don’t overwork - you don’t want a smooth purée.

Crack the eggs into the bowl, scramble them a bit, then add the salt and nutmeg and mix briefly into the mash. Taste for seasoning, then add the flour and combine well, being as light-fingered and speedy as possible – if you overwork the dough, the gnocchi will be heavy. Stop as soon as you can’t see the flour any more.

When the dough has formed a cohesive, non-sticky ball, sprinkle a little extra flour over and set it to one side while you scrape the board clean of any doughy bits.

Cut the dough into 3 manageable chunks and roll each, one at a time, into a thick rope, 2–3cm in diameter, then cut each rope into 2cm lengths. Keeping everything well- floured, roll each piece between the palms of your hands, which should be perpendicular to each other – you are aiming for gnocchi with tapered ends so they look like a torpedo.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Put the butter in a small pan over a medium heat and melt until lightly golden, but don’t let it burn. Add the gnocchi to the boiling water all at once, then immediately stir them gently to prevent them sinking to the bottom of the pan and to keep them separate. After 2 minutes, remove one with a slotted spoon, let it cool a little then taste to see if it’s fully cooked – it should not taste like raw flour.

Scoop the gnocchi out of the water and transfer to a warmed platter. Pour over the melted butter and follow with either the sugar and poppy seeds or the grated cheese to serve.