POTATO DUMPLINGS WITH POTTED SHRIMP

For the potato dumplings:

1kg potatoes, peeled 2 eggs

1 egg yolk

50g Berkswell or Parmesan cheese, finely grated

10g sea salt

300g strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting

1 pinch each of ground nutmeg and ground mace

For the potted shrimp butter:

100g butter

2 bay leaves

¼ tsp ground mace 1 pinch of cayenne pepper

1 pinch of paprika 250g brown shrimp

To finish:

100g coastal herbs (I like to use sea aster or sea purslane) or alternatively parsley 1 lemon, zested

Steam the potatoes for 20 minutes until soft throughout or, alternatively, bake the potatoes and scrape out the centre. Meanwhile melt the butter with the bay leaves and add the spices. When combined, remove the bay, pour the butter over the brown shrimp and allow to cool. Keep in the pan for later.

Once cooked, let the potatoes cool so they can be handled. Push them through a potato ricer or sieve and place in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre of the potatoes. Mix together the egg, egg yolk, cheese and salt and pour into the well. With one hand, carefully fold the ingredients together until well combined. Add the flour and knead gently until the flour is fully incorporated. Don’t overmix or the dumplings will be tough — the dough should feel soft.

Lay baking paper on the back of a baking tray and sprinkle with flour. Cut the dough into 6 pieces and place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll each piece into a long roll roughly 2cm in diameter, then cut into 3cm pieces and place on the baking tray. Continue until the dough is all rolled and cut.

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and gently reheat the shrimp butter in the pan you set aside earlier. When all the dumplings have been cut, sprinkle them with a little more flour. Slide them into the boiling salted water and simmer for a few minutes — when they rise to the surface they’re cooked.

Remove from the water and toss into the shrimp butter for a minute or two with the coastal herbs or parsley, until you have a nice glossy sauce. Plate and finish with a healthy grating of lemon zest.