Creamy baked gnocchi with Dolcelatte, figs and hazelnut

Method

1. If making the gnocchi, dust a couple of baking trays generously with polenta. Boil the potatoes in their skins for 15–20 minutes, until very soft inside. This may take a little more or less time depending on the size of the potatoes – start checking at 13 minutes.

2. Drain well, and when cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes. Mash them well, or put them through a potato ricer, then spread into a circle on a clean floured surface.

3. Make a well in the middle of the potato, then crack in the egg and add the Parmesan. Use a fork to bring the dough and the Parmesan together, sprinkling on the flour as you go.

4. Once you have a sticky dough, use floured hands, and knead until you have a smooth, elastic dough.

5. Cut sections off the dough and use your hands to roll them into long ropes, about 1½cm/3/4in in diameter. On a floured surface, use a dough cutter or blunt knife to section the dough into 2½cm/1in pieces. Transfer these into the polenta-lined trays and continue until you’ve used up all the dough.

6. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Cook the gnocchi in batches, using a slotted spoon to remove them from the hot water as soon as they rise to the surface. Tip the cooked gnocchi into a roasting tin large enough to hold it all snugly in a single layer and dress with the olive oil so it doesn’t stick.

7. To make the bake, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.

8. Stir the crème fraîche through the gnocchi and season with salt and black pepper.

9. Scatter over the torn Dolcelatte and quartered figs, then squeeze the barest drop of honey on to each fig quarter; it’ll improve the flavour no end. Scatter with the hazelnuts, then transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

10. Dress the watercress with the lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. Scatter a few watercress leaves over the top of the cooked gnocchi just before serving and serve the rest of the salad alongside.