Roast Vale of Clwyd Rack of pork with butternut squash puree and homemade chestnut and sage gnocchi (serves 4)

Ingredients

1 Rack of pork with 8 bones,

White wine,

200ml Chicken stock,

Butter,

1 Butternut squash,

Garlic,

Thyme,

500g Cavolo nero,

Olive oil,

500g of King Edward potatoes

150g Semolina flour,

50g Finely chopped chestnuts and 16 whole chestnuts,

50g Grated parmesan,

10 Sage leaves,

3 Egg yokes, Salt and pepper

Method

For the Pork:

1. Salt the pork skin for 20 minutes then pat until dry then season the pork with salt and pepper.

2. Roast the pork at 200oC for approx 15 minutes then reduce the heat to 160oC for a further 10 minutes, remove from the oven and leave the pork to rest for 10 minutes.

Slice through the pork in between the bones and serve 2 slices of pork per person before serving.

3. De glace the roasting tray with white wine then add the chicken stock and thicken with 20g of butter.

For the butternut squash puree:

1. Peel and deseed the squash then dice into large chunks

2. Place on a roasting tray with garlic, picked thyme and butter, season with salt and pepper and roast at 160oC for 25 minutes. Remove fromthe oven and puree using a food processor then pass the mixture through a fine chinoise.

For the cavolo nero:

Cut the cavolo nero into large chunks then blanch it in salted water then drain well and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with sea salt.

For the chestnut and sage gnocchi:

1. Season and bake the King Edward potatoes until soft then remove the potato from the skin and mash with a fork then add the semolina flour, finely chopped chestnuts, grated parmesan, sage leaves and the3 egg yolks, season with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.

2. Allow the mixture to rest for a while then roll out into long cigar shapes then cut into 30mm long pieces and using a fork mark the top of each piece of gnocchi. Cook the gnocchi in boiling salted water until theyfloat to the top, remove from the water and drain well.

For Roasted Chestnuts:Pan fry 16 chestnuts in extra virgin olive and foaming butter for 2 minutes

Con Amici Italian Bar and KitchenRhyl Road, Denbigh LL16 3DS01745 814444www.con-amici.co.uk