MASH POTATO READY MADE RECIPES

Steps:

• This recipe works great as a stand-alone dish, but also as a component in Jamie’s Christmas Party from Together – see the full collection of menus here. ON THE DAY Peel the potatoes and celeriac, chop into even-sized chunks and place in a large pan of salted water, ready to cook. TO SERVE Bring the water to the boil and cook for 15 minutes, or until soft. Drain and leave to steam dry for 2 minutes, then return to the pan and mash well. Stir in the butter and milk, then season to perfection, tasting and tweaking. Once made, you can put the mash in a heatproof bowl, cover with tin foil and place over a pan of gently simmering water to keep warm, until needed.

Steps:

• 1. Use potatoes of a fairly even size, as you’re going to cook them whole. Cook in a large pan of boiling salted water for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender.
  2. Drain and leave until cool enough to handle, then remove the skins.
  3. Mash the potatoes using a potato ricer or masher on to a large clean board.
  4. Sprinkle over the flour, finely grate over half the nutmeg, season well with sea salt and black pepper, then scrunch and push the mixture together with clean hands. Depending on the potatoes, you may need to add a little more flour – use your common sense.
  5. Knead on a flour-dusted surface for a few minutes until pliable, then divide into 4 equal pieces and roll each into a sausage about 2cm thick.
  6. Slice into 3cm lengths – this is your basic gnocchi. Now you can gently roll each piece down a butter pat, the back of a fork or a fine grater to add grooves, which will help your sauce to stick, or simply roll into balls.
  7. Nonna Teresa cooked her gnocchi 2 portions at a time, as it’s so quick, and it also means they’re less likely to break up. Cook in a pan of boiling salted water for 2 to 3 minutes – as soon as they come up to the surface they’re ready.
  8. Remove with a slotted spoon and toss with melted butter and finely grated Parmesan, my Hero tomato sauce (or leftover sauce from a stew, which you can see in the picture), then finely grate over a little Parmesan, to serve. I also like to add a little dollop of pesto – homemade or jarred, it’s up to you.