Masterchef UK Professionals
Baker:
Season:
Week:
Challenge Type:
Sautéed Neapolitan Gnocchi with Mushroom Ragù, Forest Mushrooms, Crispy Sage, Einkorn Tuile and Wild Garlic Oil
Gemma's signature dish was a plant-based celebration of her Neapolitan roots. The gnocchi were made in the traditional Neapolitan style - flour and water only, no potato - making them chewier than standard gnocchi, almost a cross between gnocchi and pasta. They were sautéed in olive oil until crispy on the outside and soft within. A portobello and chestnut mushroom ragù was cooked down for maximum earthy flavour. Seared forest mushrooms including hen of the woods were crushed and crisped. An einkorn tuile, made from ancient grain flour, provided a salty crunch that mimicked the effect of parmesan. Crispy sage and wild garlic oil finished the dish.
{Gemma}: "Today I'm making Neapolitan gnocchi with mushroom ragù and woodland mushrooms."
{Gemma}: "This was the first dish that I cooked when I wanted to conquer my now wife. When I was successful to come here, I told her I was planning to make the dish, and she told me that it wasn't good enough, that it was stuffy, it was not good. Basically what I did is I improved it. Took that dish that for me was special, and I made it more special. Then when she tried, she liked it. She gave me a nine, not a ten."
{Monica}: "So it was a two. Your wife's now given it a nine. I can't wait to see what we give it."
{Marcus}: "She's making a Neapolitan-style gnocchi. There's no potato in it. It is literally just flour and water. This is a real nod to the classics, to the traditional cookery."
{Gemma}: "They're a bit more chewy and less soft, and I'm going to give them a nice crunch outside, frying them in the pan with some olive oil. It's one of the first forms of pasta that has ever been made in houses. I wanted to bring something a bit unique and different. Ancient. Simple, coming back to the roots."
{Matt}: "Gemma's going to make sure that this gnocchi is worked together while it's hot, so that the dough is not too dense. You don't want lumps of flour running through it."
{Monica}: "We've also got a tuile which is being made from einkorn flour, which is ancient grain."
{Gemma}: "It's kind of salty and mimics the effect of parmesan."
{Marcus}: "She's also making this lovely mushroom ragù. The ragù's got real body and the earthiness of the mushrooms with it. It's about cooking them down so you've got maximum flavour. We've got hen of the woods mushrooms that she's crushing down so they're almost crunchy and crispy on the outside. And just to finish the dish, crispy sage as well, which I love."
{Monica}: "Gemma's dish sounds very rustic, very traditional, which I ordinarily love. However, can she elevate it for the MasterChef kitchen?"
Went straight through to quarterfinals.
{Marcus}: "The gnocchi is like half gnocchi and half pasta. It's got a chewiness to it and it's got those little nooks and crannies where it's absorbing that beautiful mushroom ragù that you've got going through there. The ragù... you've really captured the earthiness of the mushrooms. And then the crunchy, crispy mushrooms - excellent. The tuile, I enjoyed that too. It gives a bit of texture. I love the little sage and the little parsley. When anybody in restaurants says let's have some gnocchi, would I choose it on a menu? No. But I have to say, I absolutely love this."
{Matt}: "The gnocchi has a real texture to it. It's a bit of chewiness and it works really well with what you have here. Beautiful flavours and textures of different mushrooms running through this dish."
{Monica}: "I love the gnocchi. The mushroom ragù is full of flavour. I can taste the wild garlic. It's a gutsy, earthy, rustic dish. This is a taste of your heritage. Well done."
In the judges' deliberation: {Monica}: "She gave us that rustic, gutsy gnocchi from Naples. Plant-based dish, full of flavour, crunchy mushrooms."
{Marcus}: "The tuile - I could have just carried on eating that and eating it. It was great."
{Matt}: "So are we in agreement that we think Gemma's done enough to go through to the next round?"
{Marcus}: "For me, yes."
Note: Unanimous praise from all three judges. Gemma went straight through to the quarterfinals - the only contestant to receive no criticism. Marcus's admission that he would not normally choose gnocchi but loved this was a significant endorsement.
Would you like us to create a recipe to match this dish?
We try to create several recipes every day, and we'd love to prioritize a recipe for you. Just fill out the form and watch your inbox - no cost, no catch.
