Homemade potato gnocchi

Method

• step 1

  Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 5. Prick the potatoes all over with a skewer (keep the skin on). Bake for 1-1½ hours, or until completely soft. Check the centres with a skewer to make sure they’re cooked all the way through – it should go through the centre easily. Allow the potatoes to cool enough to handle. Beat the egg, ricotta and the chopped tarragon together with some salt and pepper.

• step 2

  Cut the cooled potatoes in half, and scoop the flesh out into a bowl.

• step 3

  Put the potato flesh through a ricer, or push though a sieve with a wooden spoon.

• step 4

  Beat the ricotta mix with the potato and season really well.

• step 5

  Sift over the flour, and knead into the bowl to make a dough. Divide into 8 portions.

• step 6

  Roll each portion out onto a floured work surface, to make a long thin sausage, then cut into 2.5cm pieces.

• step 7

  Mark the gnocchi using the back of a fork, and round the corners off. Put onto a floured baking tray when done, and continue with the rest.

• step 8

  Cook the gnocchi in a large pan of boiling salted water in batches. Cook for about 1 minute until they rise to the surface of the water, then strain into a colander. Allow to dry out for 30 seconds before tipping into warm bowls.

• step 9

  Melt the butter and cook until it turns a golden, nutty brown, add the tarragon leaves for a minute then take off the heat and season with lots of black pepper and tip into a heatproof bowl to stop it cooking. Spoon over the cooked gnocchi and season with more black pepper, if you like.