Potato & goat's cheese gnocchi with walnuts and parmesan

This is adapted from a Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall recipe in The Guardian Weekend 12th Feb 2011. It looks really tricky but is surprisingly simple!

Serves 2

For the gnocchi

250g potatoes, peeled & chopped into similar-size pieces

50g soft goat’s cheese, crumbled

120g plain flour (plus a little extra for dusting)

1 small egg, lightly beaten

salt & freshly ground black pepper

To serve

30g butter

a squeeze of fresh lemon juice

a sprig of fresh rosemary/thyme, leaves removed from stalks and chopped

a few fresh walnuts

fresh Parmesan cheese, grated/chopped or any other hard cheese- we used a fancy chestnut cheese from the deli at the Rutland & Derby Arms

In a pan of salted water, bring the potatoes to the boil and simmer for 10-15mins. Drain, put into a mixing bowl, mash roughly, and set aside to cool.
Once the potatoes are tepid add the cheese, flour, and egg and season generously. Using a wooden spoon, bring together to make a firm dough and knead gently for a few minutes.
Roll the dough out into sausages about 1cm in diameter and chop into 2cm pieces.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, and put a plate/bowl nearby to keep warm. Cook the gnocchi in batches (my dough made 4 ‘sausages’ so I cooked the gnocchi in 4 batches) until they rise to the surface. This will only take a minute or two so don’t leave the stove! Transfer the cooked gnocchi to the warm plate.
Warm the butter until it browns, then turn off heat. Add the lemon, herbs, walnuts, and cheese and stir. Add the gnocchi, season, and serve immediately. You may like to serve with Parmesan grated over the top, and a green side salad. Enjoy!

This recipe tastes even better made with vegetables from Community Harvest Whetstone :)