Gnocchi di carote salsa menta (carrot dumplings with fresh mint sauce)

Ingredients

(serves six)

For the gnocchi 250g roughly chopped carrots (organically grown carrots tend to have a better flavour)
250g scrubbed potatoes
Salt
35g puréed mostarda di cremona (Italian spiced fruit in syrup)
1 size three egg
1 egg yolk
150g plain flour

For the sauce 30g mint leaves
20ml olive oil
100ml brodo or light beef stock
50g Parmesan
Salt

To make the gnocchi

Boil the carrots and potatoes in separate pans of salted water until tender. Drain and cool.

Peel the potatoes and sieve them. Put the carrots in a clean cloth and squeeze out as much excess water as you can. Sieve or purée the carrots.

Put the potatoes carrots mostarda di Cremona and eggs in a mixing bowl and beat or whisk until thoroughly blended and smooth.

Incorporate the flour a little at a time. It must be thoroughly blended but don't work the mixture too hard or the gnocchi becomes chewy and hard.

Fill a piping bag (1cm plain tube) with the mixture. Bring a large pan of water (minimum six litres) to the boil. Add salt.

Hold the bag above the pan and squeeze out the mixture. Cut off pieces every 2cm.

As the gnocchi start to cook they will rise to the surface. Leave them to float for about a minute then drain with a slotted spoon.

To make the sauce

Put the mint and olive oil in a covered bowl and steam for 10-15 minutes. Blend with a food processor. Boil the puréed mint cream and brodo for three to four minutes. Stir in the Parmesan and test the seasoning.

To serve spoon some of the sauce on to a dish and arrange the carrot gnocchi on top.