I went down recently to celebrate a friend’s birthday, drank plenty of the delicious fizz and tucked into almost the entire menu. We were clearly feeling very boujee.
But this was 2 weeks ago and I’ve honestly not stopped thinking about this one particular dish since. Erst regularly change their menu so while they’re still available, I need to shout it from the rooftops in hopes that you will all try these fluffy balls of heaven.
Gnudi (pronounced like nudie) are rustic pillowy delights made from a simple recipe of ingredients that you can probably find in your cupboard.
Essentially, Gnudi is very similar to gnocchi, it’s like its cooler cousin from Tuscany that’s somehow also loosely related to ravioli.
Gnudi is filled with ricotta rather than potato as with gnocchi and actually isn’t encased in pasta like ravioli.
Sitting somewhere in the middle, gnudi comes from the Italian word ‘gnuda’ meaning naked and if you think you’ve seen the word before but never on a menu, it may very well be from Michael Angelo’s ‘The Ignudi’ in the Sistine Chapel.
These dumplings are deceivingly light, fluffy and are incredibly pillowy.
Erst have dressed them up with an incredible braised leeks which are so soft they melt in your mouth. The dish is served with a good grating of parmesan cheese and to top it off with a delectable crunch, a sprinkling of breadcrumbs.
I can’t stress enough how much everybody needs to go and try these not pasta, not gnocchi, not quite dumpling-dumplings.
Once you do though, I can’t promise you won’t be thinking about them a few weeks later. I can promise you will feel warm and fuzzy inside though.
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Gnudi, braised leeks, parmesan & breadcrumbs (£10)
at Erst
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