Gnocchi à la Parisienne

Before starting this Gnocchi à la Parisienne recipe, make sure you have organised all the necessary ingredients.

Prepare the choux pastry. Bring the water to a boil with butter and a pinch of salt.

Away from the heat...

... add all the flour in one go...

... and combine using a wooden spatula.

The resulting dough is called 'panada'. Dry off the panada by stirring constantly until the pastry comes away from the sides of the saucepan.

Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Add the eggs, one at a time. Combine well every time you add one egg.

Add the grated emmental.

Combine well. Set aside.

To make the béchamel sauce, start by making a white roux with flour and butter.

Pour the boiling milk over the cold white roux and whisk constantly over medium heat until it starts boiling again. Season with salt, pepper and ground nutmeg.

Cook the sauce for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. Season to taste.

Scoop the choux paste into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle (no 14 or 16).

In a saucepan, bring salted water to a gentle simmer. Press out the dough and divide into 2cm lengths and let them drop into the simmering water. Use a small sharp knife to divide the dough.

Poach the gnocchi for 6-8 minutes.

Using a skimmer, transfer to a bowl filled with iced water to stop the cooking.

Drain.

In a gratin dish (or terracotta or individual ramekins), coat the bottom with a layer of béchamel sauce.

Arrange a layer of gnocchi...

... and cover with another layer of béchamel...

... then sprinkle with grated emmental and a knob of butter.

Preheat the oven to 150°C (gas 2) and bake for 15 minutes. You can also place the dish under a salamander until the surface is golden.