Family favourite: Sian Redgrave’s delicious dumplings

This month Sian shares one of her favourite things to cook, inspired by a traditional Italian recipe, seasonal produce and wonderful memories of eating as a child. Sian’s food is created with love, colour and flavour.

Gnudi, a deliciously rounded word for a deliciously rounded dumpling. True to the romanticism of Italy the name of these gnocchi-like morsels translates to “naked”, for gnudi are made with the filling of ravioli but without the pasta. Unlike gnocchi, which is made using flour and potato, gnudi are a little fickle as they rely on fresh ricotta to bind them. For those thinking that the jackpot has been obtained with a low-carb miracle dish, the calories are made up for with plenty of parmesan and the traditional sauce of beautifully browed butter.

The most integral ingredient in gnudi is in fact the ricotta, a mild, sweet, fresh cheese that allows for the hint of nutmeg and sharpness of silverbeet to be rounded and smooth. Keep in mind that not any ricotta will do. This recipe requires firm, well drained ricotta that is often sold set in plastic sieves and can be found at local delis and cheese stores. I strongly advocate setting out on a cheese hunt to find this as it’s the main attraction! Patting the ricotta dry with paper towel and draining as much liquid as possible from the greens ensures the gnudi are firm and hold together when cooking.

Although they require a little patience and chilling time, gnudi are an elegant entertaining recipe, sure to delight friends and family. Very few are adverse to brown butter, especially the gnudi, shiny in their naked glory!

1 Prepare the sautéed leek so it has time to cool. Heat a small frying pan over medium heat, adding olive oil, leek and garlic. Stir and cook slowly (10 minutes) to ensure the leeks don’t brown, but soften and caramelise. Set aside to cool.

2 Place a large pot of water on to boil and then blanch the silverbeet until vibrant and tender. Drain into a colander and rinse well with cold water. Using your hands, squeeze as much liquid from the silverbeet as possible. Then with a sharp knife, very finely chop and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

3 Add the ricotta, leek mixture (draining any olive oil that remains), parmesan, egg, nutmeg, a little salt and freshly ground pepper. Add 50g of the flour; mix until well combined. Pop the bowl into the fridge for 30 minutes to cool and become firm.

4 Take an oven tray and dust with semolina (or extra flour). Using a teaspoon, roll a heaped spoonful of ricotta mixture to form a smooth ball; lightly roll in the semolina. Place rolled gnudi onto a clean tray. Repeat process with remaining ricotta mixture, flouring hands as you go. Cover with plastic; refrigerate 1 hour until firm.

5 Place a large pot of salted water on to boil to cook the gnudi.

6 Meanwhile in a heavy-based pan, heat butter over a medium heat, swirling pan occasionally. The butter will begin to foam and gradually change colour. Once you can smell a nutty aroma and see flecks of brown, add sage and swirl around again. Squeeze in a little lemon and turn heat off.

7 Cook gnudi in batches by dropping them into boiling water. Once they float to the surface, drain with a slotted spoon and add into the butter mixture. Once all gnudi are in the pan, gently toss so they’re coated.

8 Serve immediately, spooning over any butter remaining and sprinkled with the crunchy hazelnuts.