Gresca - Barcelona at its best

Souffle
at Gresca

The problem with Barcelona is there is so much good food around that the choice can be overwhelming.  Good small-plate food is not hard to find - Cal Pep and Tapaҫ 24 for instance - but when you've had your fill of tapas and raciones, and a proper three-course meal regains its appeal, you need to give it some thought.  On this visit, one of my top finds was Gresca.  This understated 26 cover modern bistro restaurant came up with almost the best meal I've eaten so far this year (only outshone by the excellent Dabbous in London).

Some find the room too monastic but it suits me fine.  Paired down to hard, plain surfaces softened only by white tablecloths, there's an absence of frippery and a concentration on food and service.  For me the choice of restaurant was largely informed by a stated commitment to using local produce whenever possible and an emphasis on quality of ingredients.  Chef Rafa Peña has worked at Ferran Adrià's El Bulli (now closed) and Martin Berasategui's Lasarte so we expected a few surprises to the simply described dishes, and there were.  The cooking though is toned down in line with the Bistronomia movement, of which Peña is a leader.  There is an emphasis on Catalan classics updated by some modern techniques.

After the lightest parmesan wafers, a "soufflé" starter arrived as a beautiful flower of puffed egg-white unfolding to reveal a deep yellow yoke centre, set on a tagliatelle of potato and chive butter sauce.  Light, gorgeous to the eye, technically intriguing and delicious.  Tiny onions on a bed of deeply caramelised onion slices were paired with salty roquefort, the dish given another dimension by a disc of toasted (possibly macadamia) nuts as the base.  The tenderest rib of pork came with a pleasantly sweet sticky sauce; the richness cut with a sharp coleslaw - a refined take on 'ribs and slaw'.  Succulent squid was served with fondant potatoes and red onions, the dish brought together by delicate saucing.  A perfect light, warm chocolate pudding served with crème fraiche and a pretty, flower-strewn dish of citrus panna cotta coated with the thinnest slices of lemon and blood orange ended the meal perfectly.

Warm chocolate pudding
at Gresca

The wine list was reasonably priced, wide-ranging though predominantly Spanish.  A bottle of Catalan Les Paradetes 2007 Conca de Barbera from celler Escoda Sanahuja was delicious and well-priced at 24 Euros - and it was natural.  Natural wines appear less common in Spain although given the avid interest in them both in Paris and London, I am sure it is only a matter of time before they become the new trend in Madrid and Barcelona. 

Amazingly the restaurant remained empty, save for us, throughout a mid-week lunch service. Where was everyone?  Were we seeing recessionary Spain, which is being hit particularly savagely right now?  Or had a day and a half of pouring rain dampened appetites?  We were assured by both front of house, and by friends, that this situation was very unusual for Gresca.   Our bill of 72 Euros for two seemed a bargain to us.  On this day the unassuming Catalan chef Rafa Peña cooked just for us, and it was superb.  We will probably not be as lucky again.  Next time I will be booking ahead as the disappointment of being turned away would be too much to bear.  With a charming front of house and a soft background of jazz from Charlie Parker, we walked out into, finally, blazing Barcelona sunshine.

Gresca
 C/Provenҫa 230
08036 Barcelona
Tel: 934 51 61 93

New season garlic - Food Find

Real signs of spring.  I noticed wild garlic leaves (Ramsons) at market last Saturday and this week they've been joined by wet (green) garlic.  The Ramsons have a wonderful affinity with eggs so work well added to a frittata or omelette.  The stems of my home-grown garlic are barely a pencil's thickness so it will be another 10 weeks or so before I harvest them.  Having used up all but one bulb of my 2011 crop I plan to make the most of the wet garlic on offer.  It is best used within a week or so to enjoy its sweet, mild flavour.  You can use the stem as well as the cloves so it's an economical buy. 

Dabbous

Salad of fennel, lemon balm
and pickled rose petals
at Dabbous

Few restaurant dishes have reduced me to silence, and this was a salad for goodness sake.  It's true, Dabbous is extraordinary.  Having read two rave reviews, and ascertained prices were reasonable, I made a booking and thereafter avoided reading another word on the cooking of Ollie Dabbous.  I'm going straight to the food as this place surely deserves it - pausing only to apologise to my fellow diners for taking photographs of my plates.  How could I not when they were this beautiful?

A paper bag of in-house sourdough bread and a pat of home-made whipped butter delicately salted to just the right degree - could have been gimmicky if they hadn't been delicious.  Returning to the salad, oh yes, let's return to that salad.  The finest shaved fennel and a little cos leaf, a few translucent slivers of preserved lemon, finished with wisps of pickled rose petals and a lemon balm 'sand'.  It was juicy and zingy, the delicacy of the rose petals rising above the most gentle of pickling liquid.  It was sublime. 

Barbecued wild Ling, virgin rapeseed oil
mayonnaise, Jerusalem artichoke
at Dabbous

Next up was Barbecued wild Ling, a member of the Cod family.  A pearly lozenge with little more than a whiff of smoke was served with Jerusalem artichoke (too crunchy for me) and a rapeseed oil mayonnaise.  A scattering of bush basil and a 'soil' of something, which doubtless came via some coastal forager, brought the dish together wonderfully well. 

A meltingly soft Roast pork belly followed, crackling intact, nestled on an inspired acorn - yes, acorn - savoury praline.  Wilted turnip tops were alongside and an apple vinegar cut the rich sweetness of the pork.  

I could, and probably should, have stopped there as by now my expectations were stratospherically high.  At the end of a meal anywhere else the dessert would likely have seemed very good, but the two I managed to taste fell just a little short.  Barley flour sponge soaked in red tea was a beautifully light, moist cake sitting cosily on a bed of fluffy Tahitian vanilla cream - good, but lacking some texture.  Chocolate and virgin hazelnut oil ganache, basil moss and sheep's milk ice cream was stunningly presented.  The textures were well-balanced and the ice cream was a nice contrast but the basil - three-ways - dominated the dish.

Chocolate and virgin hazelnut oil ganache,
basil moss, sheep's milk ice cream
at Dabbous

That said, I haven't been this knocked out by a meal since an early visit to Alain Passard's L'Arpège in Paris.  For that reason I will, for old time's sake, be looking out for the coddled egg I saw on Dabbous' menu.  The words 'sand' and 'soil' in relation to food have, until now, not been in my lexicon but these textures are appearing on the plate more and more.  I think Noma led this trend.

Dabbous declare simplicity, restraint and a lighter style of cooking to be their objective, with an emphasis on fruit, vegetables, herbs, infusions and wild foods.  Chef, Ollie Dabbous, was picked out as a rising star a couple of years ago by those in the industry.  His CV includes Head Chef at Texture and short stints at Noma, The Fat Duck and more.  Dabbous has clearly put in the work in a short space of time.  Now, at the age of 31 he has his own restaurant and it's affordable and accessible. 

Service was unstuffy but professional from start to finish.  The very young sommelier, dandily dressed in velvet jacket and cravat, produced a lovely Touraine Chenin Blanc with delicious tangerine notes.  Our waiter was charming and enthusiastic.  I remember the dining room when it was a utilitarian internet cafe.  As Dabbous it has had an industrial design makeover.   Downstairs is a very individual bar serving cocktails and drinks such as 'Sloe Gin Punch'.

We ate from the Set Lunch Menu at £21 for 3 courses, £24 for 4 courses.  Portions are not large but if you have a hearty appetite it's easy to go off-piste and slip in a dish from the a la carte.  With prices of £5-11 for starters, £11-14 for mains and £4-7 for desserts the temptation is there.  There is also an 8 course Tasting Menu for £49 per person.  Normally I pass on tasting menus but here it does appeal.

Booking is currently 4 weeks ahead but undoubtedly it is going to become harder to get a table.  Much as I would love to see these prices held, it's not likely to happen.  I've already booked my next visit while the going is good.

Dabbous
39 Whitfield Street
London  W1T 2SF
http://dabbous.co.uk/

Maltby Street Award winning traders are on the move

Phase 1 of Maltby Street
traders move 31 March 2012

The Observer Food Awards 2011 Maltby Street traders are to start their phased move from the Bermondsy railway arches on 31 March 2012.  Moving just a few minutes walk further up the railway line out of London Bridge will place them handily just 5 minutes from Bermondsey Underground station.  The traders mentioned in my 'Bermondsey Trail' will be occupying arches and units centred around the disused Spa Road London to Greenwich railway terminus.  Not everyone will be moving in phase 1 on 31 March but as of that date you'll find your favourite traders at the following.

Malby Street & Spa Terminus
(Note retail trade Saturdays - core hours 9am-2pm - some stay open later) 
Phase 1 move Saturday 31 March 2012:

60 Druid Street
Tayshaw Ltd (Tony Booth Fruit & Veg) - unchanged by phase 1

34-36 Maltby Street
Monmouth Coffee Company - unchanged by phase 1
La Grotta Ices - unchanged by phase 1

40 Maltby Streeet
40 Maltby Street/Gergovie Wines - unchanged by phase 1 (Thurs & Fri from 5.30pm, Sat 10-5.30pm)

72 Druid Street
St John Bakery - unchanged by phase 1

104 Druid Street
Topolski - unchanged by phase 1
Kase Swiss - unchanged by phase 1
Boerenkass - unchanged by phase 1
Jacob's Ladder Farms - unchanged by phase 1

Unit 1 Voyager Business Park, SE16
Kappacasein - unchanged, already trading
Neal's Yard Dairy - new location

Unit 2 Voyager Business Park, SE16
Mons Fromager - new location
Aubert & Mascoli - new location

Unit 3 Voyager Business Park, SE16
South East Fruits - unchanged, already trading

Unit 4 Voyager Business Park, SE16
The Ice Cream Union - unchanged, already trading

Unit 5 Dockley Road, SE16
The Little Bread Pedlar - unchanged but now opening for Saturday retail from 31 March
Coleman Coffee Roasters - new location

Unit 6 Dockley Road, SE16
The London Honey Company - new location

Unit 10 Dockley Road, SE16
Fern Verrow - new location

Arch 11 Dockley Road, SE16
The Butchery Ltd - new location
The Kernel Brewery - new location

Arch 10 Dockley Road, SE16
The Ham & Cheese Co - new location

Dates for the move of those traders unchanged by the phase 1 move are to be advised later.  This will be a more settled home for the award winning traders who have worked so hard to build their businesses and serve us with some of the best produce in London.  You can pick up a copy of the flyer photographed above from The Ham & Cheese Company at 1 Ropewalk on 17 or 24 March.

I expect http://www.maltbystreet.com/ will be updated soon.  If you already know 'Maltby Street', I hope this information helps you find your favourite traders.  If you haven't discovered it yet, you'll find some of the best produce in London here.

GO HERE FOR AN UPDATE ON THE FIRST DAY OF TRADING 31 MARCH 2012

Cooking with Dave Cook

Hands on in
Leila's kichen

It's a cold, damp evening in early March and the lights are burning late at Leila's shop and cafe in Spitalfields.  Inside, a long table is spread with a still life of ingredients: vegetables, wild mushrooms, pulses, grains, herbs and spices, sausages and saffron.  People arrive in ones and twos, muffled against the chill and bearing strangely bulky shoulder bags.  An easy camaraderie quickly develops, fuelled by a glass of wine and a shared passion.  Later the cafe windows will become opaque with steam, causing passers-by to peer in curiously. 

Aprons are donned and a dozen enthusiastic cooks surround the large kitchen table and immediately we are hands-on prepping ingredients for the dishes we will help to cook.  We are the lucky few to attend this oversubscribed lesson on Mediterranean Pulses and Grains with chef Dave Cook (ex-Moro and Bocca di Lupo and currently cooking at 40 Maltby Street, Leila's and Towpath Cafe).   

Over the next few hours we learn about buying, preparing, cooking and serving various beans, chickpeas, lentils, barley, farro and fava beans.  We make soups and stews, dips and salads, a perfectly herbed and spiced falafel and a moreish dish of fried chickpeas and cauliflower tossed in coriander and cumin.  It's almost enough to turn a carnivore vegetarian, but then comes Lentil, chorizo and piquillo pepper stew followed by Lamb and barley broth.   We share knowledge and experience and we taste as we work.  Rather than meagre sprigs, we learn to use handfuls of fresh herbs which make the dishes zing.

Ten dishes and four hours later the mystery of the bulky bags is revealed to be a myriad of containers.  What we didn't manage to eat is borne off to feed countless others.  Not only do we come away with ten good, healthy, tasty recipes but we have asked all those questions you want answered when cooking  new recipes.  Best of all, the whole group has had a hand in making every single dish in a relaxed, yet learning environment.  With Dave's capable and good humoured assistant, Stasia, keeping everything on track, we go off into the night, notes, aprons and food bagged, with a lot more knowledge of those nutritious ingredients.

Dave doesn't do many of these classes and word of mouth is enough to fill them.  If you ask at Leila's or 40 Maltby Street, maybe he'll be persuaded to do more.   With a warm and engaging personality and a wealth of experience cooking in his native Australia - notably Pier restaurant in Sydney and MG Garage restaurant before coming to the UK - he's a natural teacher.  As long as there's room for me around the table, I'd love to see you there.

Here is my interpretation of the chickpea and cauliflower dish we made, which is a great appetiser. The texture of the fried chickpeas is rather like a savoury popcorn - but much nicer. The recipe is very easy.  Taking the time to toast and grind whole spices instead of buying powdered is well worthwhile.

Fried Spiced Chickpeas and Cauliflower

About 200g dried chickpeas, pre-soaked, cooked and well drained
1-2 cauliflowers
Rapeseed oil (or your preference) for frying
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted lightly and ground to a powder
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted lightly and ground to a powder
Salt
A large handful coriander leaves, roughly chopped

Cut the cauliflower into small florets.  Deep fry the chickpeas and cauliflower separately until both are golden and crispy before draining on kitchen towel.  Rapeseed oil is healthy and good for frying as it takes a higher temperature than many other oils (UK grown cold-presssed is the only one I would use).  Immediately mix the freshly fried peas and florets with the seasoning.  Add the coriander leaves and serve.

Dave Cook also holds classes at Mersea Island Cookery School You can find a profile of him here.

Pitt Cue Co - Soho's barbecue hotspot

Pitt Cue Co

Meat lovers have been raving about Pitt Cue, formerly trading from a van under Hungerford Bridge and now in its new Soho home on the corner of Newburgh Street. Just off Carnaby Street, its location could hardly be more central. Set up by Tom Adams, ex-Blueprint Cafe and the Ledbury and friend Jamie Berger, a line snaked out the door at this American style smokehouse as soon as the news went round that they'd found a permanent home. On a Tuesday lunchtime before 1pm the queue was already formed. “Today’s Beasts” were Gloucester Old Spot and North Devon beef and the charcoal grill delivers tender, flavoursome American barbecue style favourites like Pulled Pork, Ribs and Brisket. Portions are large and meats come with house pickles.

The queuing system has the novelty of your own numbered “cow” tab for drinks whilst you wait for one of the tables in the tiny downstairs to come available. The drinks menu is heavily American inspired with beers, cocktails, Bourbons and Ryes, and soft drinks. Their Picklebacks - a bourbon shot with a house pickle brine chaser and pork scratchings - has attracted a lot of positive attention. Not my thing I'm afraid. Thankfully for me, closer inspection turned up local gems like the Kernel Brewery pale ale.

Tables turn fairly quickly even though service is a little slow with the tiny kitchen delivering take away as well as eat-in. Main dishes are generous and simply presented street-food style, but here in enamel dishes. Desserts seem a little incongruous but do continue the American theme by serving up ice cream with both a chocolate brownie and a lemon tart with rhubarb and ginger.

It’s a friendly place. The bill came to £60 for 3 people. Would I go back? Yes, if I was with friends of a strong carnivorous bent.

Pitt Cue Co.
1 Newburgh Street
Soho
London W1F 7RB
(No bookings)
http://pittcue.co.uk/

A version of this article can be read at Huffington Post



 

Petersham Nurseries - more to it than a Michelin star

Welcome to
Petersham Nurseries

The recent publicity about chef Skye Gyngell leaving Petersham Nurseries Café put me in mind of the 80’s V&A Museum campaign  - “an Ace Caff with Quite a Nice Museum Attached”.  You could be forgiven for thinking Petersham Nurseries is only about the unlikely Michelin-starred earth-floor venue in Richmond, west London.    There is, however, far more to the Petersham experience than the celebrated Café.  Many people go to this little oasis without ever being able to take a stance on its Michelin worthiness. 

Seating at
Petersham Nurseries

Let’s be clear, Petersham Nurseries is, in all departments, nothing fancy. The simple, seasonal cooking in the Café using super-fresh ingredients was much appreciated, despite the high prices which certainly scared me away. The award of a Michelin star however raised expectations for everything which normally goes with it, and Gyngell felt unable to satisfy them. The Café attracted a starry clientele, even before the accolades, but the place is literally ‘down to earth’ with rickety tables set out on a dirt floor. 
 

Petersham Nurseries began life as a plant nursery. It’s this, and the very simple tearoom, which attracts me.  The potting shed style tearoom provides soups, salads and substantial slices of no-nonsense cakes.  Prices are much lower here.  There are no fireworks on the menu, but it’s certainly far better than you expect to find in a plant nursery. 

Petersham Nurseries
tearoom

Take your tray into one of the characterful conservatories, or for more privacy bag one of the tables outside, scattered around the walled garden.  Visiting on the first day of March, the sun shone warm and bright and the conservatories were perfumed with the heady scent of potted hyacinths.

The thing about Petersham Nurseries, for me, is that it’s totally relaxing.  With trains taking less than 20 minutes from London Waterloo station, Richmond is a great escape when central London gets a little too much.  You are encouraged to  approach the Nurseries by bicycle or on foot.   The route alongside the river Thames is nice enough but it then takes you across the stunning unspoiled water meadows sweeping down to the river.  The bucolic scene was painted by JMW Turner and Sir Joshua Reynolds and the meadows have inspired poets and writers for centuries.   By the time you reach Petersham Nurseries your stress levels are reduced considerably.  Walking through the gates will take them down a few notches more.

It’s impossible to visit the Nurseries without being seduced into buying a plant or two.   Displays are uncontrived.  Staff are helpful and know their stuff.  Prices are pretty good too but if you go on a Monday you’ll get a 10% discount and expert plant advice.  If you’re looking to learn more, they run courses in pruning, willow-weaving and the like. 

Oh, and if you’re tempted by that celebrated Café, Skye Gyngell may have taken down her Michelin star, but fellow Australian chef Greg Malouf, of MoMo in Melbourne, is soon to take over for a three month stint.  The question is;  will the starry clientele stick with it or can they bear to tear themselves away and follow  Skye wherever she pops up next?  Fond as I am of my food, in this case, all I need to know is whether this change to one part will have an effect on the whole Petersham Nurseries.

Petersham Nurseries
Church Lane
Off Petersham Road
Richmond
Surrey  TW10 7AG
www.petershamnurseries.com/home.asp

A version of this article can be read at Huffington Post

Moreish Meringues - use those left-over egg whites



Meringue with cream
and toasted hazelnuts

We've all seen those gigantic puffs of white meringue prettying-up the windows of trendy bakeries.  They've often had a scattering of cocoa powder, or a swirl of fruit puree if you're lucky - some sort of flavouring if you're not - added to thrill.  All too often they prove to be mere eye-candy; full of promise but lacking any substance.  I know it's only egg whites and sugar so lightness is a given, but meringues need to be tasty or what's the point?  My meringue is the antidote to the sweet, strangely powdery confections which are so often the reality of this window dressing.

For me a meringue should be a crisp shell with a slightly chewy centre where the sugar has gently caramelised.  The colour should be somewhere between pale coffee and caramel, depending on the sugar used.  I made the one in the photograph above with a lovely Costa Rican cane sugar bought from Monmouth Coffee.  It delivers a somewhat darker meringue and a lovely caramel flavour, but Billingtons also do a good range of unrefined sugars.  Toasted chopped hazelnuts can be added to the raw meringue mix with the last of the sugar, or can be sandwiched with the cream just before serving.

Mixing merinques

Some cooks add a pinch of salt to the recipe to improve the flavour.   If you do, add it towards the end of beating as it can decrease the stability of the egg whites and weaken the protein network that forms the structure of the meringue.  Though I wouldn't subject my lovely Costa Rican sugar to this, you could aso warm the sugar on a baking tray in an oven set at 140C for 10 minutes.  I'm told this results in a firmer meringue, though that's not something I'm looking for.  Another school of thought recommends warming the egg whites and all the sugar over a pan of simmering water until the sugar disolves, then beating the mixture for 15 minutes in an electric mixer for an airier result.  Both of these methods add to the workload for, to my mind, no discernible improvement in taste.

Meringues made with soft brown sugar

If, like me, you often have egg whites going spare, remember they freeze well.  Pop them in a container and top it up each time you're left with one or two.  Just remember to use them within a couple of months.  If you keep the containers to 2's or 4's then you'll have useable amounts  for making meringues, friands, amaretti biscuits...  or an egg-white omelette if you absolutely must!



Hazelnut Meringues
(makes 20-24 large, 10-12 pairs)

4 egg whites (140g) at room temperature
250g unrefined caster sugar (or soft brown sugar)
2tbsp toasted hazelnuts

Brush a baking sheet with a little oil and line it with parchment paper.  Pre-heat the oven to 120C (Fan oven 100C).  Whip the egg whites to soft peaks.  Gradually add half the sugar and mix to stiff peaks.  Using a metal spoon, fold in the rest of the sugar (and, if using,  2 tablespoons of toasted chopped hazelnuts or whatever you prefer).  Place rounded tablespoons of mixture onto the lined sheet and place in the oven for about 1hr 45 mins (a little less for smaller meringues) or until they are crisp to the touch.  Turn off the oven and leave the meringues in to cool down.  Serve with cream, whipped just until it holds, and those toasted hazelnuts if not already added to the meringue.

The meringues should keep well for about 10 days stored in a tin.  You can also use them to make a parfait - crush them, add to fruit and whipped cream, freeze for a couple of hours and serve in slices.

Maltby Street Traders - Food (photos) Find

This 'Food Find' is a bit of a tease as it is to alert you not to a specific food, producer or trader, but to a unique record by Bermondsey-based photogrpaher Tif Hunter.  My only excuse for labelling this a Food Find is that Tif's project captures a food community in the form of the Maltby Street Traders.  A regular at the Maltby Street arches on Saturdays, Tif has paused individual traders in the midst of their busy days at this wonderful food hub in Bermondsey.  These are far from ordinary portraits.  The strong, arresting, even beautiful, images are achieved using a 19th century camera allied with polaroid film, which produces both a positive and a negative image and a high level of focus.  The photos appear on the website Spitalfields Life.  It's an on-going project so if you like what you see, check back later in the year for more.  Spitalfields Life is updated daily by 'The Gentle Author', with 'goings-on' on the streets of the Spitalfields area of East London.  It's a great read and, truly, all human life is here.

February is the leanest month - so cook Sausage Ragu

Sausage Ragu
with gnocchi

There is no doubt that February is the leanest month in the culinary calendar, but by definition that makes it the most hopeful month (sometimes it pays to be a glass half-full type of person).  It will be another 6 weeks before I start planting in my allotment but my plan of action is ready and the seeds are ordered.  It will be late spring before I start harvesting my own crops so, as I eke out the remains of last year's garlic harvest, this is the time I rely heavily on my favourite shops and markets.  It's the one time of year when I'm happy to embrace some seasonal fruits from warmer climes.  I draw the line at imported blueberries, cherries and apricots - it's just so wrong in winter, and so tasteless - but sweet jewel-like pomegranite seeds and zingy bitter Seville orange are very welcome in my kitchen right now.

The sky may be grey but just think of all the uplifting foods which are just round the corner.  Blood oranges and forced rhubarb are already in the shops, and before we know it Alphonse mangoes will be appearing.  Artichokes, leeks, parsnips and, this year, some frankly disappointing winter cabbages (too mild?) will soon be eased out by broad beans, peas, and green garlic.  Wild garlic leaves and Jersey Royal potatoes will soon follow.  The fish and shellfish on offer is changing from oysters and sea bass to crabs, sardines, mackerel and scallops whilst venison and pork is joined by hoggett and, soon, tender spring lamb.  The best part is that, other than the oranges and mangoes, all of these will be British grown or raised.   Given the strange winter we have had this year, we may see some of these sooner than we expect.

We are on the cusp of of swapping the filling, warming foods of winter for the lighter, uplifting dishes of spring.  But we're not quite there yet, so here's an easy economical winter dish of pork sausages filled out with pillowy gnocchi, fragranced with fennel seeds and warmed by the heat of dried chilli.  It's inspired by a dish I've eaten more than once prepared by Dave Cook at Gergovie Wines/40 Maltby Street in Bermondsey and a version appears in Bocca the Cookbook. 

You can prepare the gnocchi a few hours ahead of time if you wish, then you don't want to have too much going on at once.  If you're short of time, I'm sure a short pasta such as penne would work well.  This is the perfect dish to keep the February blues at bay.

Sausage ragù with gnocchi
(serves 4)

FOR THE RAGÚ:
4 best quality pork sausages
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1-2 small dried, deseeded, chillies (depending on strength)
Half a tablespoon chopped rosemary leaves
Half a tablespoon of fennel seeds, crushed
800g tin of plum tomatoes

Fry the sausages to brown lightly, then slice into rounds and keep warm.  Fry the garlic, chllies, fennel seed and rosemary for 1 minute then add the tomatoes and bring to the boil.  Add the sliced sausages and simmer very gently, uncovered, for at least 45 minutes until the sauce is quite thick and dark.

FOR THE GNOCCHI:
300g (12oz) of cooked floury potato, eg King Edward (about 400g raw)
50g (2oz) plain flour
1 small egg, lightly beaten
A little nutmeg to taste
Salt and pepper

Steam the potatoes in their skins (this keeps the mash dry).  Bring a pan of water to the boil and salt it.  When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, skin them and put through a ricer or mouli or mash well.  While still warm, mix in the flour, egg, nutmeg and seasoning lightly.  Take a small piece and drop it into the boiling water.  It should float to the suface without breaking up.  If it separates, add a little extra flour to your mix.  Take pieces and roll by hand into lengths, roughly the thickness of your middle finger (use a little extra flour if you need it only to stop it sticking to the work surface but handle gently).  Cut into 1cm lengths. Drop into the boiling water and once they float to the surface, cook for 2 minutes. 

Drain the gnocchi and add to the finished ragù (if you are preparing them ahead of time, spread them in a single layer on an oiled plate and chill and warm them through in the sauce for a couple of minutes when you're ready).  Serve with grated parmesan or pecorino.