Gnocchi primavera with grilled tuna and confit lemon
This vibrant dish of gnocchi and seared tuna is a magnificent celebration of spring vegetables.
Ingredients
For the confit lemon
- 200ml/7fl oz stock syrup (equal quantities sugar and water)
- 1 lemon, very thinly sliced
- 1 star anise
For the gnocchi
- 200g/7oz potatoes
- 2 free-range egg yolks
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú–100²µ/3½´Ç³ú plain flour
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- dash olive oil
For the vegetables
- 50ml/2fl oz olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh or frozen peas
- 2 tbsp fresh or frozen broad beans
- 4 Tenderstem broccoli
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú green beans
- 2 vine ripened tomatoes, skin and seeds removed, finely chopped
- 4 asparagus spears
- 1 small bunch thyme
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 100ml/3½fl oz chicken or vegetable stock
For the tuna
- 250g/9oz fresh tuna steak
- 1 tsp crushed pink peppercorns.
- 1 lemon, juice only
To serve
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú Pecorino cheese, shaved using a peeler
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
To make the confit lemon, heat the sugar syrup and add the lemon and star anise. Remove from the heat, cover and leave for 24 hours.
Bake the potatoes on a baking tray for 1 hour, or until soft. Scoop out the flesh and pass it through a potato ricer into a mixing bowl, or mash it thoroughly. Mix in the egg yolks and flour and beat until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and mix again.
Bring the dough together and roll it into a long sausage shape. Cut into 2–3cm/¾–1¼in length pieces. Set aside.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the gnocchi and cook until the gnocchi rise to the surface. Drain and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and sauté the vegetables for 5 minutes. Pour in the stock and cook until the vegetables are tender. Keep warm.
When ready to serve, heat a dash of olive oil in a frying pan, add the gnocchi and toss in the hot oil for a few minutes until golden.
Roll the tuna in the pink peppercorns on a plate or a board. Sear in a hot frying pan on each side, then squeeze over the lemon juice. Cut into thick slices.
To serve, spoon the vegetables onto a serving dish, add the gnocchi and the sliced tuna, scatter over some confit lemon pieces and some shards of pecorino.
