Smoked Potato Gnocchi with...Smoked Potato Gnocchi with Sea Urchin, Lemon Verbena, and Bottarga

Delicate, oak-smoked potato gnocchi pillowing in a rich sea urchin emulsion, accented with fresh lemon verbena, and finished with shaved Sardinian bottarga.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Bake the potatoes on a bed of rock salt at 200°C (390°F) until completely tender, then peel and pass through a potato ricer while hot.

2. 02

   Place the riced potato in a bowl, seal with plastic wrap, and infuse with cold oak wood smoke using a smoking gun for 5 minutes.

3. 03

   Incorporate the Tipo 00 flour, egg yolk, and smoked sea salt into the smoked potato; gently knead on a clean surface just until a cohesive dough forms. Do not overwork.

4. 04

   Roll the dough into 1.5cm thick ropes, cut into 2cm pillows, and dust lightly with flour. Place on a tray lined with parchment paper.

5. 05

   In a high-powered blender, emulsify 60g of the sea urchin tongues with the softened cultured butter and a splash of warm water until silky and smooth; pass through a fine-mesh chinois and set aside in a warm area.

6. 06

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle simmer. Cook the gnocchi in batches until they float to the surface, allowing them to cook for an additional 30 seconds before removing with a slotted spoon.

7. 07

   In a wide sauté pan, reduce the white wine by half over medium heat, lower the heat to minimum, and swirl in the sea urchin butter to create a glossy, stable emulsion.

8. 08

   Gently toss the cooked gnocchi in the emulsion until beautifully coated. Spoon into shallow serving bowls, garnish with the remaining fresh sea urchin tongues, shaved bottarga, lemon verbena chiffonade, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.