8 4 COUNTRY S TYL E JUNE 2017
CHUNKY POTATO SOUP WITH
PARSLEY & HAZELNUT PESTO
Serves 4–6 (See photograph, page 79)
This soup is most delicious when made with
a jumble of different potato varieties — pink
fir apple, nicola, Dutch cream, desiree... any
and all will do. It also includes lovage, which
is one of my favourite herbs and is especially
good with potato. Lovage is also known as
celery leaf herb, but it has a more subtle,
peppery, curry-leaf-like taste.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 brow1 brown onion, peeled, roughly choppedn onion, peeled, roughly chopped
1 bay leaf1 bay leaf
3 large sprigs flat-leaf parsley, leaves 3 large sprigs flat-leaf parsley, leaves
and stemand stems roughly chopped s roughly chopped
3 sprigs lovage, leaves and stem3 sprigs lovage, leaves and stems s
roughly choppedroughly chopped*
1kg mixed potatoes, scrubbed, halved
100m100ml pure creaml pure cream
PARSLEY & HAZELNUT PESTO
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 brow1 brown onion, peeled, roughly choppedn onion, peeled, roughly chopped
80g freshly shelled raw hazelnuts, 80g freshly shelled raw hazelnuts,
skins onskins on**
4 garlic cloves, peeled
3 large stem3 large stems flat-leaf parsley, choppeds flat-leaf parsley, choppedPlace butter, onion, bay leaf, parsley and Place butter, onion, bay leaf, parsley and
lovage in a mlovage in a mediumedium saucepan and season saucepan and season
with a pinch of sea salt. Cook gently, with a pinch of sea salt. Cook gently,
stirring occasionally, over a low heat for stirring occasionally, over a low heat for
5 m5 minutes or until soft and fragrant. Add inutes or until soft and fragrant. Add
potatoes and 4 cups water, and cook for potatoes and 4 cups water, and cook for
30–35 m30–35 minutes or until potatoes are soft. inutes or until potatoes are soft.RemRemove fromove from heat. Use a potato m heat. Use a potato masher asher
or fork to gently break up potatoes into or fork to gently break up potatoes into
smsmall pieces. Add creamall pieces. Add cream and season and season
to taste. Simto taste. Simmmer over a low heat for er over a low heat for
5–10 m5–10 minutes or until heated through. inutes or until heated through.
MMeanwhile, to meanwhile, to make pesto, place oil, ake pesto, place oil,
butter and onion in a smbutter and onion in a small heavy-based all heavy-based
saucepan and season with a generous saucepan and season with a generous
pinch of sea salt. (It will look like mpinch of sea salt. (It will look like more ore
oil than you need, but this is necessary oil than you need, but this is necessary
to gently ‘mto gently ‘melt’ the onions. Drain off elt’ the onions. Drain off
any excess oil and save it for later use.) any excess oil and save it for later use.)
Cook over lowest possible heat, stirring Cook over lowest possible heat, stirring
occasionally, for 40 moccasionally, for 40 minutes or until inutes or until
onion is golden. (Turning the heat on onion is golden. (Turning the heat on
and off is a good way to regulate the and off is a good way to regulate the
temtemperature if your stove does not perature if your stove does not
have a low enough setting.) Cool.have a low enough setting.) Cool.
Place hazelnuts, garlic, parsley and Place hazelnuts, garlic, parsley and
a pinch of sea salt in a heavy ma pinch of sea salt in a heavy mortar. ortar.
Add 1–2 tablespoons of oil fromAdd 1–2 tablespoons of oil from onion onion
mmixture. Pound with a pestle into ixture. Pound with a pestle into
a coarse paste. Season to taste.a coarse paste. Season to taste.
Ladle soup amLadle soup among serving bowls. Top ong serving bowls. Top
with pesto, a tablespoon of caramwith pesto, a tablespoon of caramelised elised
onion and a drizzle of onion oil. Enjoy!onion and a drizzle of onion oil. Enjoy!
*If lovage is not available, substitute
celery leaves or omcelery leaves or omit it fromit it from the recipe. the recipe.
**If fresh hazelnuts are unavailable and
the skins taste bitter, toast gently in the the skins taste bitter, toast gently in the
oven and rub the skins off before using. oven and rub the skins off before using.GNOCCHI WITH TOMATO
& EGGPLANT RAGU
Serves 6
I’ve always found myself deterred from
making gnocchi by the idea that you need
‘special’ potatoes. However, with a weedy
infestation of kipflers in my potato patch,
gnocchi seemed worth a try and they
worked beautifully! The amount of flour
needed will vary, but start with the lower
amount and carefully add more if required
— the dough should feel soft but not sticky.
A sturdy metal potato ricer is a useful
investment if you plan on making this recipe.
2 medium eggplant, cut into 2cm pieces
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt1 teaspoon sea salt
60g unsalted butter60g unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, peeled, chopped3 garlic cloves, peeled, chopped
1kg ripe tom1kg ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped, atoes, roughly chopped,
juices retainedjuices retained
⅓⅓ cup basil leaves, torn cup basil leaves, torn
extra basil leaves, to serveextra basil leaves, to serve
finely grated parmfinely grated parmesan, to serveesan, to servePOTATO GNOCCHI
500g kipfler potatoes, scrubbed
⅓⅓ cup 00 plain flour, plus extra to dust cup 00 plain flour, plus extra to dust
½½ teaspoon freshly grated nutm teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg eg
½½ teaspoon sea salt or to taste teaspoon sea salt or to taste
1 egg yolk1 egg yolkPreheat oven to 175°C. Line 2 large Preheat oven to 175°C. Line 2 large
baking trays with baking paper.baking trays with baking paper.
Place eggplant, oil and sea salt in Place eggplant, oil and sea salt in
a large bowl and toss to coma large bowl and toss to combine. Spread bine. Spread
eggplant over prepared trays. Roast for eggplant over prepared trays. Roast for
40 m40 minutes or until tender and golden. inutes or until tender and golden.
Place butter and garlic in a large Place butter and garlic in a large
saucepan over a low heat. Cook, stirring, saucepan over a low heat. Cook, stirring,
for 2 mfor 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add inutes or until fragrant. Add
tomtomatoes and juices, basil, eggplant atoes and juices, basil, eggplant
and a generous pinch of sea salt. Cook and a generous pinch of sea salt. Cook
for 35–40 mfor 35–40 minutes or until ragu is thick. inutes or until ragu is thick.
Season to taste. Transfer 2 cups of ragu Season to taste. Transfer 2 cups of ragu
to a large frying pan. Keep remto a large frying pan. Keep remaining aining
ragu warmragu warm until required. until required.
MMeanwhile, to meanwhile, to make gnocchi, cook ake gnocchi, cook
potatoes in a large saucepan of salted potatoes in a large saucepan of salted
boiling water for 20–25 mboiling water for 20–25 minutes or until inutes or until
very soft but not crumvery soft but not crumbling. Drain, then bling. Drain, then
imimmmediately pass through a potato ricer ediately pass through a potato ricer
into a minto a mediumedium bowl. bowl.
MMake a well in centre of potato. Add ake a well in centre of potato. Add
flour, salt and nutmflour, salt and nutmeg, and stir until well eg, and stir until well
comcombined. Add egg yolk and mbined. Add egg yolk and mix until ix until
well comwell combined. If dough is too sticky, bined. If dough is too sticky,
gradually add mgradually add more flour, a tablespoon ore flour, a tablespoon
at a timat a time. Knead dough until a soft ball e. Knead dough until a soft ball
formforms (do no overwork or gnocchi will be s (do no overwork or gnocchi will be
tough). Turn dough onto a lightly floured tough). Turn dough onto a lightly floured
surface and shape into a disc. Cut dough surface and shape into a disc. Cut dough
into 4 equal portions. Roll each dough into 4 equal portions. Roll each dough
portion into a 3cmportion into a 3cm-diam-diameter log and cut eter log and cut
into 2cminto 2cm pieces. Line a tray with a clean pieces. Line a tray with a clean
tea towel and lightly dust with extra tea towel and lightly dust with extra
flour. Place gnocchi on prepared tray.flour. Place gnocchi on prepared tray.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water Bring a large saucepan of salted water
to boil (the water should be so salty that to boil (the water should be so salty that
it tastes like the sea). Add 6–8 gnocchi it tastes like the sea). Add 6–8 gnocchi
and cook for 2–3 mand cook for 2–3 minutes or until they inutes or until they
rise to surface (don’t let water boil too rise to surface (don’t let water boil too
vigorously or gnocchi will break apart). vigorously or gnocchi will break apart).
Use a slotted spoon to drain gnocchi Use a slotted spoon to drain gnocchi
and transfer to frying pan with ragu. and transfer to frying pan with ragu.
Repeat with remRepeat with remaining gnocchi.aining gnocchi.
Toss gnocchi in ragu until well coated. Toss gnocchi in ragu until well coated.
Stir over a mStir over a mediumedium heat for 1 m heat for 1 minute or inute or
until heated through. Spoon gnocchi until heated through. Spoon gnocchi
amamong plates. Top with remong plates. Top with remaining ragu aining ragu
and extra basil. Serve with parmand extra basil. Serve with parmesan. >esan. >