Gnocchi are a crowd-pleaser but they are also really versatile so you can adapt them to the season. Leave out the crayfish for a vegetarian dish, and mix up the greens – we’ve used a sea kale and a lovely red chard that’s going to seed here, but kale, broccoli or spinach would work well in the autumn and winter. The garlic purée might sound a bit laborious but the blanching is quick to do and it does mellow and soften the flavour so that you end up with a beautiful sweet purée.

Serves 4

16 crayfish, heads and tails removed

large handful of sea kale, chard or seasonal greens (broccoli, kale or spinach also work well)

For the gnocchi

250g cooked potato flesh (baked then scooped out of the skins)

75g tipo 00 flour

5g salt

10g beaten egg (about a third of an egg)

40g flat-leaf parsley, chopped

For the garlic purée

20 garlic cloves, cut in half and germ removed

½ tbsp double cream

For the parsley purée

50g flat-leaf parsley, leaves only

To make the gnocchi, pass the potato through a sieve into a bowl, then mix it with the remaining ingredients until thoroughly combined.

Divide the mixture into 3, then roll each portion into a sausage shape, about 1.5–2cm thick. Cut the sausage into gnocchi shapes (they should weigh 15–20g if you’re being very precise) and transfer them to a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Place in the freezer until frozen.

Meanwhile, prepare the purées.

Place the garlic in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and boil for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then drain and repeat this process five times.

Return the garlic cloves to the pan, cover with milk by about 2–3cm, season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Simmer until reduced and the liquid has lowered to the same level as the garlic cloves. Add the double cream, then blitz the mixture in a food processor to make a purée.

Blanch the parsley in boiling water, then immediately refresh in iced water. Place it back into boiling water and boil for 10 minutes, until soft. Season lightly then squeeze out any excess water and purée in a mini food processor. Check the seasoning.

Blanch the crayfish in boiling water for 1 minute, then cool and refresh them over ice.

When ready to sere, heat a large frying pan with a drizzle of oil until hot but not smoking hot. Add the gnocchi, and as they start to sizzle, add a knob of butter. Fry until golden brown, then flip the gnocchi and add 3 tablespoons of vegetable stock.

While the gnocchi are cooking, gently reheat the purées and steam the greens. Peel, then fry the crayfish in a drizzle of rapeseed oil for about 2 minutes, until golden. To serve, swirl a good drizzle of each purée on to each plate. Add four cooked gnocchi, four crayfish and finish by topping with the greens.