Serves 4
Ingredients
500 gm gnocchi
500 gm chicken breast, chopped into chunks
salt & pepper
80 gm butter
2 tblspn olive oil
2 medium shallots, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 tspn fresh thyme
1-2 tspn fresh oregano
3 tblspn plain flour
350 ml chicken stock
120 ml light cream
150 gm fresh baby spinach
80 gm Parmesan cheese, grated
Method
Preheat oven to 230 degrees C.
Fry the gnocchi in a skillet in 20 gm butter and the olive oil over medium-high heat, tossing for 12-15 mins until brown and crispy on the outside. Set aside.
In the same skillet, add 20 gm butter and fry the chicken chunks over medium heat, turning for 6-8 mins until cooked through and browned. Set aside.
In the same skillet, add remaining butter and cook the shallots over low-medium heat, stirring frequently for 5 minutes until tender.
Add the garlic, thyme and oregano, cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Raise heat to medium and add the flour, whisk in until browned, 1-2 minutes.
Slowly whisk in the chicken stock and stir as it bubbles starts to thicken, 3-4 minutes.
Stir in the cream and keep stirring until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Transfer gnocchi and chicken and spread out in large roasting pan, top with spinach.
Pour sauce from skillet over content of the roasting pan, stir gently and top with grated parmesan.
Bake in oven until bubbly and brown on top, about 10 minutes (or less if you have a hot oven).
Ladle on to plates and serve.
Notes
Accompany with sides if desired – I used blanched green beans and chopped tomatoes for crunch and acid contrast respectively. The sweetness of blanched carrots would also work well.
Some bread for mopping up is good, too.
I used chicken breast because one diner only likes chicken that way, but you could use tenderloins or an economical alternative in trimmed, boneless chicken thighs.
It’s very creamy, and it occurs to me that replacing, say, 50 ml of the stock with dry white wine would add a little astringency.