Recipes From My Travels - Paul's Gnocchi with mushrooms, tomato sauce and parmesan shavings - The Stratford Observer

Recipes From My Travels - Paul's Gnocchi with mushrooms, tomato sauce and parmesan shavings

Stratford Editorial 8th Aug, 2022   0

CHEF and blogger Paul James writes for our paper.

I am basing this week’s recipe on a venue I visited for one of my food reviews – Marco Pierre White’s steakhouse and grill, in Birmingham city centre.

I believe it can be made a little bit easier and hopefully more tastier for your own tastebuds.

It’s quite fitting I’m doing this review before flying out to Slovenia to attend a wedding and do a couple of food and travel reviews in Kranj and Lake Bled because it is just one day before the start of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and it’s already a heave of hustle, bustle and mixing with athletes.

In fact some Commnwealth Games athletes are staying here.




Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar and Grill in Birmingham is located at the top of The Cube building in the Mailbox district.

It has stunning 360 degree panoramic views overlooking the city from the 25th Floor.


Cocktails are among the extensive bar list and the menu is predominantly classic British menu.

I decided on going for the summer set menu, which offered a decent choice of starters, mains, salads, side’s and desserts.

You can choose between two and three courses.

I decided to have the chicken Milanese for my main, with plenty of parmesan shavings and salad leaves.

It was nice but the dish I will create in the future using my recipe below was the starter of Gnocchi with wild mushrooms in tomato sauce.

To be honest it was once again ‘just okay’ – the Gnocchi was light and fluffy and very tasty. I usually cook mine in boiling water first then gently fry them until golden, but with the loose sauce it was served with obviously it wouldn’t work.

I would also use button mushrooms (I know it’s a bit boring) but finding wild mushrooms is something I would not suggest and I prefer my mushrooms without the ‘added bits of woodland in them’.

Overall if you are feeling flush it’s a worthwhile experience, even if it’s just for the views and a glass of water.

But if you want to stay at home and cook yourself a little treat, try my recipe below.

Gnocchi with mushrooms, tomato sauce and parmesan shavings

Ingredients

1tbsp of olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

1tsp of sea salt salt

1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced

Handful of button mushrooms, sliced

Punnet of piccolo tomatoes, roughly chopped. (reserve a couple for garnish)

A few basil leaves

Parmesan shavings

Ready made gnocchi

Pea shoot salad

Pinch of sugar (If required for the tomato sauce)

Salt and pepper if required

A good knob of salted butter

 

Method

1. In a heated frying pan, add the oil.

2. Then add the onions and garlic until the onions are soft and translucent.

3. Then add your roughly chopped tomatoes and Basil leaves.

4. Cook for a few minutes and let the sauce cool down.

5. Add to a blender and quickly pulse, you can have it as chunky or as smooth as you like.

6. Return to the pan, add the sliced mushrooms and let the sauce simmer away.

7. In another saucepan bring some water to the boil (Don’t add salt) then let your gnocchi cook using the instructions on the packet. (I usually wait until they float)

8. Then drain.

9. Heat a clean frying pan and add the butter until it starts to foam, then add the gnocchi and cook until golden.

10. Remove from the pan and drain on some kitchen paper.

11. Quickly bring the sauce to the boil and reduce until it becomes a thick consistency.

12. Add the gnocchi to the pan, give it a quick stir just enough to cover with the tomato sauce. Taste for seasoning, including the sugar just in case the tomatoes are to sharp.

13. Serve straight away in a warm bowl with the tomato and salad leaf garnish and parmesan shavings.

14. Note: serve straight away to keep the crunch of the Gnocchi.

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