Vegetarian mains
Gnocchi, sprouts and chestnuts with mushrooms and perl las blue cheese
Sprouts aren't just for Christmas! They pair well with the mushrooms and our creamy perl las blue cheese for an easy supper dish.
Cook's notes
Any leftover mushrooms are a tasty treat fried on toast for breakfast. To clean your mushrooms, use a damp piece of kitchen paper or cloth to wipe them; washing them can make them slimy.
Ingredients
- 1 leek
- 200g Brussels sprouts
- 4 cooked chestnuts
- 6-10 fresh sage leaves
- oil for frying, e.g. sunflower or light olive
- 200g mushrooms
- 250g potato gnocchi
- 50g perl las blue cheese
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Put a large pan of water on to boil. While the water heats up, cut the leek in half lengthways, then finely shred each half. Wash well in a colander to remove any grit. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan.
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Step 2
Add the leek and cook on a low heat for 8 minutes, stirring now and then. If it looks like catching at any point, add a splash of water and turn the heat a little lower. Meanwhile, pick the outer leaves off the Brussels, give them a quick wash and trim off any protruding bits of stalk.
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Step 3
Roughly chop the chestnuts. Wash 6-10 of the sage leaves, depending on size, then finely shred them. Clean the mushrooms (see cook's note). Thinly slice them. Add the mushrooms to the leek and stir-fry for a further 4-5 minutes, to soften them.
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Step 4
Add the Brussels to the large pan of boiling water and cook for 5-8 minutes, depending on size, until just tender (test one by inserting a sharp knife). Using a slotted or large spoon, scoop the Brussels into a colander, keeping the water boiling in the pan.
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Step 5
Run them under cold water to refresh and fix their bright green colour. Cut the Brussels in halves or quarters, depending on size. Cut through the stalk if you can, so they hold together. Add the Brussels, sage and chestnuts to the leek and mushrooms.
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Step 6
Pop the gnocchi into the pan of still-boiling water. They are done when they rise to the top of the pan, about 2 minutes. Drain the gnocchi, reserving a little of the water. Add the gnocchi to the leek mixture and crumble in about 30g of perl las blue cheese.
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Step 7
Stir to combine and season to taste. Add more cheese to your preference and a little of the reserved gnocchi cooking water to make more of a sauce, if you like.