INGREDIENTS (MAKES 6 PORTIONS)

• 2 balls of Vannella smoked buffalo mozzarella (torn)
• 6 x 200g portions of pre made gnocchi (recipe below or store bought)
• 150 g of spicy nduja
• 2 punnets of cherry tomatoes
• 1 bunch of basil
• 1 bunch of thyme
• 1 bunch of flat leaf parsley (chopped)
• 2 shallots
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 500g pasta flour
• 2 egg yolks
• 500ml olive oil
• 1 lemon

CONFIT TOMATOES

• 2 punnets of cherry tomatoes
• 2 peeled shallots (sliced)
• 4 cloves of garlic (sliced thinly)
• 400 ml of olive oil
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• 5 g rock salt

METHOD

1. In a heavy based pan, sweat off the sliced garlic and sliced shallots without colouring.
2. When the shallots and garlic are soft and cooked through with the rock salt, and the pan is still hot, quickly add the two punnets of tomatoes and pour over the olive oil and sprigs of thyme. Keep on the heat for 3 minutes until the oil starts to simmer gently.
3. Take off the heat and allow to cool completely at room temperature. When completely cooled then gently move into a container with the oil until you need them for service.

GNOCCHI

• 1.5 kg of red desiree potatoes
• 60g grated parmesan
• 500g 00 pasta flour
• 2 egg yolks
• 15g salt

METHOD

1. Pre heat the oven to 185 degrees. Rest the potatoes on top of a single layer of coarse rock salt (to withdraw more liquid) in a baking tray and roast in the oven for approximately 1.5 hours (depending on the size of the potato) The potato is ready when you can skewer a knife straight through with no resistance
2. When the potatoes are ready slice them in half and scoop the inside into a potato mouli or potato mincer. Scoop out all the potato and mash. TRY NOT TO OVER WORK THE POTATO, otherwise you release the starch, which can make the gnocchi dough dense and stodgy.
3. At this point you need to work quickly and not mix the dough too much, add half the flour, all of the parmesan, egg yolk and salt and mix together with a spatula. Tip the potato onto a floured surface and start folding in the remaining flour. When the dough has come together and still has a nice soft feel to it leave it in a bowl with a cloth over the top.
4. Now to roll into gnocchi. There are many different ways of doing it but I just take a small amount of dough and roll it on a floured surface until it resembles a long thin sausage. I flour the top of the dough and with a sharp knife cut into 5cm pillows
5. Tall pan of salted boiling water, tip the gnocchi in batches into the water and allow the gnocchi to rise to the top, as soon as the gnocchi is floating you can remove with a spider or holy spoon into ice cold water. When chilled remove to a tray with olive oil and keep in the fridge until service. These can be saved for up to three days in the fridge.

TO FINISH

1. Sauté the gnocchi in batches so the outside has a really nice caramelised crust around it.
2. Depending how spicy you like add the nduja and melt down in the pan with the sautéed gnocchi, the natural oil from the meat will extract and colour the gnocchi a gorgeous red colour.
3. Season with salt and pepper, add good handful of chopped parsley and squeeze of lemon juice
4. Time to assemble - transfer the gnocchi to the 6 plates or bowls, warm up the confit tomatoes to above room temp and scatter all over the top of the gnocchi. Tear the smoked mozzarella on top of that and season with pepper, picked basil leaves over the tip of that.
5. To finish drizzle a little of the confit tomatoes oil over the top to give it an extra kick of tomato flavour.

CHECK OUT OUR SMOKED BUFFALO MOZZARELLA
THAT WAS USED IN THIS RECIPE

SMOKED BUFFALO MOZZARELLA