My Guilty Pleasure No 2: Fried Gnocchi

My first venture into pan-fried gnocchi wasn't a success. I didn't use a non-stick pan, the gnocchi got stuck on the bottom, burst open and went really, really chewy. We all agreed that we wouldn't bother to cook it again.

But there was always something that niggled me about the gnocchi. Nigella offers them up in her latest book Kitchen as 'rapid rostini' and says that they taste just like mini roast potatoes. And, as someone who once cooked a tray of mini roast potatoes as an evening TV snack, I couldn't pass up the opportunity of achieving that same texture after a few minutes' stirring in a hot pan. So I tried them again. This time with a non-stick pan. And the difference was phenomenal.  

Tiny, little striped ovals, crunchy and golden on the outside, hot and soft on the inside - they're great for those snacks that you eat standing at the kitchen worktop, TV snacks or to go with anything you would normally serve with roast potatoes, or even chips. Just heat a tablespoon of oil in a NON STICK pan and fry the gnocchi for about 6-8 minutes, stirring, until golden and crisp. Tip out onto a plate lined with kitchen paper, remove to a dish and sprinkle sea salt over the top while they're still hot. I like them dipped in the dark and glossy new HP Guinness brown sauce.

Honey and Soy Sticky Marinade for Burgers

Now I love a cheeky burger as much as the next person and so one day I decided to tart mine up a bit by brushing over some soy sauce and honey, mixed together. This is more of an instruction  than a 'recipe' as such, it's so easy. The honey turns nice and sticky on the outside as it is charred in the oven, and the soy gives it a darker colour and a real, deeply savoury taste.

I brush over the marinade twice during cooking - once when the burgers first go into the oven and again about five minutes before they are ready. I normally cook my burgers in the oven because there are usually some potato wedges doing in there too, so it saves energy but you can cook them any way you like. Add a pinch of chilli flakes for a spicy heat if that suits, and if you're doing a barbecue this weekend, why not give them a try on there? I use Jamie Oliver's recipe for the basic burgers, but feel free to use your own.

Burger marinade:

(coats 4 meaty burgers)

Ingredients

• 2 tbsps runny honey
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce

Method

Shape the burgers into patties and place on a grill pan, oven proof dish or over your hot barbecue coals. Brush over half the marinade, mixing it well as you go (the honey and soy can separate if left to stand too long). Cook to your liking, then when there are just 5 minutes left to go, brush over the remaining marinade.

When the burgers are dark, sticky and cooked through serve them. We love ours in soft sesame buns with crisp little gem lettuce and ripe, sliced tomato.