Weekend Foodie: Fusion of Irish and Italian food that brings a taste of sunshine
Di says this colourful combination makes for a great weekend lunch - perfect for some al fresco dining if the weather allows.
This weekend, I’m combining the Irish love of spuds with Italian culinary flair. These two European countries come together in the glorious gourmet concoction known as gnocchi.
A bowl of gnocchi dressed in a sauce of choice is one of the staple dishes of Italian cooking. Made from mashed potatoes, flour and eggs, these are essentially just fluffy potato dumplings with a fancy name! You can buy plain gnocchi which you gently poach for a few minutes in water then dress with a sauce of choice. Italians love gnocchi baked in a gratin with cheese and breadcrumbs. But my favourite way to eat it is poached then gently fried in butter to crisp and lightly brown on the outside. This weekend, I’ve done exactly that with some ready made fresh pesto-filled gnocchi, combined with colourful slivers of sweet baby peppers and tomatoes, topped with shreds of cold roast chicken I had left over. This colourful combo makes a great weekend lunch, eaten outdoors if the weather is kind.
We are into the Irish strawberry season! I’ve seen homegrown berries from Wexford already on sale. Our own West Cork strawberries from Union Hall and Rosscarbery will soon be in shops. I’m celebrating the start of the strawberry season with an old favourite, based on bread and butter pudding, but with the berries dotted between the layers of bread. A delicious way to finish an early summer lunch.
- 2 x 400g packs pesto-filled gnocchi
- Generous knob of butter
- Olive oil for cooking
- 200g pack sweet baby snack peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
- 4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 2 good handfuls baby spinach leaves, rinsed and dried
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 200g cooked chicken, shredded
- Pesto sauce to finish
Method
- Add gnocchi to a large pan of boiling water with a splash of olive oil.
- When the gnocchi rise to the surface, cook for two minutes.
- While gnocchi is cooking, melt butter with a little extra olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and add the peppers and tomatoes. Cook till starting to soften.
- When the gnocchi is cooked, drain and add to frying pan. Cook till peppers are lightly charred and the gnocchi is browned, turning occasionally.
- Add spinach to wilt and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Divide the mix between four warmed serving bowls and scatter with shredded chicken.
- Drizzle each bowl with pesto sauce to serve.
- 8 thick slices sourdough bread
- Softened butter for spreading
- 300g strawberries, hulled and halved
- 3 fresh free range eggs
- 300mls milk
- 225 mls cream
- Few drops vanilla essence (optional)
- Icing sugar for dusting
Method
- Butter the bread slices one side only, and cut into triangles.
- Arrange butter sides up and point upwards in a buttered ovenproof dish, overlapping in a rooftile pattern and scattering strawberries in between, saving some for the top.
- Beat eggs, milk and cream together with sugar and vanilla essence, if using.
- Pour the mix over the bread and allow to soak for a few minutes.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven, Gas 5 375F 190C for 25 minutes or until the pudding is risen and set, but still a little wobbly in the centre.
- Dust with icing sugar then serve straight from the dish, with cream or ice cream.
As we are getting all Italian with the gnocchi, this dish calls for an Italian red wine to match. From Aldi comes Toscana Rosso, an elegant red from the Tuscany region of Italy. If you like Chianti, then this is a similar red, but as its made outside the designated Chianti region, it can’t be called Chianti. Hence the generic name. In the glass, this has pleasing aromas of damsons, cherries and fresh iris blossoms, with rich flavours of ripe berry fruit and a balancing minerally edge. This lovely red, part of Aldi’s Specially Selected range, handles all the nuances in this dish. A great wine at a great price of €10.99.
2 x 400g packs filled gnocchi: €3.98
Snack peppers x 200g pack: €1.49
Tomatoes x 6 pack: €1.29
Baby Spinach x 200g: €1.39
Fresh pesto sauce x 150g tub: €1.89
Roast Chicken (leftovers)
Total: €10.04
Free-range eggs: €1.95
Sliced sourdough loaf 600g: €1.39
Strawberries 350g: €5.00
Cream 250mls: €1.49
Total: €9.83
App?
