The vibrant town of Robertson, known as potato growing country, is all set to paint the town red, or should we say, brown, with the much-anticipated 2024 Robertson Potato Festival. This year, the festival has renamed the town to “Robspudson” in celebration of its rich potato heritage and the festival. The event promises a weekend of fun, food and festivities, that will have spud enthusiasts from far and wide ‘digging in’ for an unforgettable experience.
For all food aficionados, the “Master Spud” cooking stage is a must-visit. This year, it will feature none other than Julie Goodwin, the inaugural MasterChef series winner. She will showcase her culinary expertise over both days of the festival, offering a treat for the tastebuds that you won’t want to miss.
For a little taste of Julie’s fabulous cooking, enjoy her classic Potato Gnocchi recipe below. Enjoy!
POTATO GNOCCHI
I learned how to make gnocchi from the lovely Patrizia in Florence. This is a sticky dough that requires little handling and comes out light as a feather.
SERVES 4
PREPARATION TIME 30 minutes
COOKING TIME 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 kg dirty potatoes (Sebago or Dutch cream)
- ½ cup (75 g) plain flour, plus extra to work with
- 1 egg
- 150 g piece speck, rind removed, cut into 5 mm batons (see Note)
- ½ cup (75 g) frozen baby peas
- ½ cup (125 ml) thickened cream
- Sea salt flakes
- Ground white pepper
- ½ cup (40 g) grated parmesan
METHOD:
1. Peel the potatoes and cut them in half if they are large.
Try to have them all a similar size so they will cook at the same time.
Place in a large pot of cold salted water and bring to a boil.
Boil for 10–15 minutes or until a skewer easily goes into them.
2. Drain the potatoes, making sure they are very dry.
Put the potatoes through a potato ricer or a mesh sieve into a large bowl (it is important that they
are mashed very finely).
Scatter the flour over the potato, add the egg and stir with a wooden spoon until it comes together in a dough.
3. Flour your work surface and turn the dough out. If it is very sticky, add a little more flour.
Gently knead the dough for only as long as is necessary to bring it together into a smooth mass.
Roll the dough into a large sausage and cut it into eight pieces.
Roll one piece into a sausage about the thickness of your thumb and cut into 2 cm lengths.
4. Place the gnocchi onto a heavily floured tray.
Repeat this process with the remaining pieces of dough. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil.
Drop the gnocchi in – they will start to bob to the surface in a couple of minutes. Once they are floating, they are cooked.
Lift very gently out of the water with a slotted spoon and drain.
5. Place the speck in a frying pan over medium–high heat.
Cook until the fat is rendering out and the speck is starting to turn golden.
Tip the gnocchi into the pan with the peas and cream, and toss to coat.
Taste, and season with salt and pepper.
Serve in warmed bowls and top with parmesan.
NOTE :: If speck is not available, bacon can be used instead.
Extracted from Classic by Julie Goodwin (RRP $39.99). Available now from bookstores and online retailers.