For about 30 gnudies, you need

200g ricotta

375g cooked & mashed, orange fleshed sweet potato

2 egg yolks

125g fine semolina or cake flour, plus extra for dusting

125ml finely grated Parmesan, Pecorino or strong mature cheddar

About 10ml finely chopped lemon thyme leaves

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

5ml grated lemon zest

About 10ml lemon juice

 

For frying

25ml olive oil

25ml butter

 

To serve

100ml butter

A few sprigs of lemon thyme

 

To prepare

Buy the driest ricotta that you can find. If it is a moist ricotta, place it in a sieve to drain off any liquid.

Cook the potato

I find it best to cook the peeled and cubed sweet potato in the microwave with about 100ml water, covered with a lid or plastic for about 6 minutes on full power. Drain the liquid and mash it finely. I use a potato ricer to ensure it is lump free. Measure the quality for this recipe after mashing the potato.

The mixture and shaping

You can use a bowl for the mixture, but I found using a food processor quick and easy.

Mix all the ingredients except the oil and butter for frying and serving, to a smooth paste.

Place a sheet of baking paper on a tray. Sprinkle the extra flour on the paper.

Using a teaspoon scoop a walnut sized ball (20-30mm) on the tray, rolling the balls to coat lightly in flour in semolina. Press the balls to flatten slightly with your fingertip.

Preparation

Poaching

Bring a pan filled to a depth of 8-10 cm of lightly salted water to the boil. Add about 8 gnudies at a time. They will sink to the bottom and within 3-4 minutes rise to the surface. Carefully remove them with a slotted spoon. Place them on some paper towel to absorb the excess liquid and immediately transfer them (before they stick to the paper) to a tray lined with baking paper or a silicone mat.

Leave to set

Refrigerate for at least 10-12 hours for them to firm up. After this stage you can freeze them between layers of paper or store in an airtight container refrigerated for 2-3 days.

To finish and serve

Heat the oil and butter.

Lightly fry the gnudies.

To serve add more melted butter and a few sprigs of lemon thyme.

Frying before serving