Butter...but make it better. Brown butter is a classical cooking technique which you can use to add instant flavour to dishes, with its distinctive nutty taste. Here we are using it in a one pan chestnut mushroom, spinach and gnocchi dish. Topped with oregano cheesy breadcrumbs, this is a decadent winter warmer.
Prep
10 min
Cook
20 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
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Ingredients
butter 50 g (diced)
chestnut mushrooms 250 g (sliced)
onion 1 (sliced)
garlic cloves 2 (crushed)
gnocchi 800 g
cream 100 ml
spinach 2 handful
olive oil dash
grated mozzarella 80 g
panko breadcrumbs 40 g
vegetable stock cube 1
dried oregano 2 tsp
Method
Start by making the brown butter. Dice the butter then add it to a small pan on a medium heat. When the butter starts to foam gently whisk it until it starts to turn golden brown. You will know it is ready when it starts to have a nutty aroma. At this stage, be careful not to burn the butter. Take the pan off the heat and pour the brown butter into a bowl (to stop it cooking) and set aside.
Thinly slice the onion and mushrooms. Peel and crush the garlic cloves.
Heat a dash of oil in an ovenproof casserole dish or frying pan on a medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook for a few minutes, until starting to soften.
Add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute while stirring, until fragrant.
Make up the vegetable stock cube with 100ml boiling water per serving. Stir the stock into the pan, bring it to the boil then simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Heat the grill to high. Alternatively you can preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan.
Pour in the reserved brown butter and cream into the dish and let it bubble for a couple of minutes then stir in the spinach and cook until it wilts. Stir in the gnocchi and mix well. Check the seasoning and adjust to how you like it.
In a small bowl make the crumb by mixing together the panko breadcrumbs, oregano and mozzarella. Scatter the crumb on top. Grill (or oven bake) for 5 -7 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling. Plate up and enjoy!
