This recipe was inspired by a dish we enjoyed in the stylish café at Jones Winery in the famous Rutherglen region of Victoria. Soon after we returned home, we took some ideas for a wine sauce from Beverley Sutherland-Smith and developed them into a recipe that worked well. We choose to make our own gnocchi from scratch, using a Stephanie Alexander recipe, but you could use some plain bought gnocchi; this dish is all about the sauce.

There is no getting around the fact that, on its own, the sauce is quite rich, but that is exactly what you need to complement the slight blandness of the gnocchi. Served with a glass of well-flavoured, dry white wine, the overall palate experience is quite ethereal or, as we dare to say, heavenly.

Ingredients

18g butter
2 shallots
1½ tsp Dijon mustard
½ cup white wine
1/3 cup chicken stock
120ml light cooking cream
100g gorgonzola (or similar quality of soft blue cheese)
black pepper
8-10 large spinach leaves
500g gnocchi

Method

1. Sauté finely chopped shallots very slowly in butter until soft; at least 10 minutes.
2. Add mustard and stir. Add white wine, simmer gently and reduce by two-thirds, stirring from time to time.
3. Add chicken stock, simmer gently and reduce by half, stirring occasionally. (All this slow cooking will provide a sweet base and soft texture to the sauce.)
4. Add cream, and simmer, stirring, until thickened.
5. Cook gnocchi according to recipe or packet instructions and keep warm in a well-buttered dish in an oven heated to 75C
6. Add cheese and melt slowly, stirring. When the cheese has melted, add black pepper to taste.
7. Remove from the heat, add shredded spinach leaves and stir well to combine.
8. Divide gnocchi between four entrée dishes and spoon over the sauce.

Eat slowly and savour every mouthful!