Cajun Palm Hearts with Gnocchi (Vegan & Gluten Free)

For the best textured gnocchi, bake your potatoes rather than boil them. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees (200C fan/425 F). Prick your potatoes all over and place into the oven until the inside is soft. This will vary depending on the size of the potato but averages out at 45 minutes – 1 hour. Allow to cool completely before scooping out the insides.

Whisk together the oil, chickpea flour, and water. Place the potato into a large bowl and mash until smooth. use a fork, potato ricer, or masher – really don’t use a food processor as this will bring out the starch and make the mash gluey. Add in the chickpea mix and almost all the flour. Mix lightly with a spoon before turning out onto the worktop. Kneed just until the dough is smooth and firm, try not to overwork the dough to make it too heavy. If too soft or wet add more flour as needed but it’s best to err on the side of caution to get the lightest gnocchi, the dough should be moist but not sticky.

Cut the dough into quarters and roll into long tubes roughly the same thickness as your thumb. Cut into pieces no larger than an inch. Now here you can be a little creative, dig out something to shape your gnocchi – you can use the back of a fork, a grater, even a gnocchi board if you have such a thing – anything with a flat base and shaped to allow sauce to cling to the gnocchi. I tend to use a small cooling rack but dig out what you think will work best for you. Using your thumb press the dough in and down the length of your improvised gnocchi board. The gnocchi should curl into a slight “C” shape, and the backs should capture the impression the dents. Set each gnocchi aside on a sheet of greaseproof paper and dust with a bit more flour if needed. Remember that the ingredients for this recipes makes double the amount of gnocchi needed for this. If you’re freezing the excess, put on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper in a single layer. Place in the freezer until solid before placing into freezer bag.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees (180 Fan/ 400 F). Slice the palm hearts into chunks about the same width as your thumb. Toss well in the rest of the ingredients before putting onto a lined baking tray. Spritz with a little oil and place into the oven, baking until crisped around the edges, or for 25 – 30 minutes, turning once.

While the palm hearts bake, make the sauce and bring a large pot of water up to boil. Melt the butter in a medium pan and add the garlic, cooking until fragrant. Slowly add in the flour, stirring constantly, until fully mixed and the mix has started to brown slightly. Add in the herbs and nutritional yeast, now gradually add in the stock and milk, stirring until completely combined. The mix should coat the back of a spoon, if too thick then add a little bit more milk as needed. When heated through, I tend to prefer to run the mix through a blender to make sure it’s extra smooth but this is completely optional. Add in the tahini (if using – it adds a little more creaminess but can be skipped), taste and season as needed. This isn’t in the ingredients but often at this point I like to throw in a handful of frozen veg like sweetcorn and peas because there’s no such thing as too much veg.

Without overcrowding the pan, put the waiting gnocchi into the boiling water. The gnocchi is cooked when it floats – this should take 3-5 minutes. Drain well and toss both the gnocchi and palm hearts in the sauce. Serve with a sprinkle of parsley and a touch of chilli flakes.