Ingredients:
- 11 oz potatoes (approx. 2 big russet potatoes or 3-4 small)
- 5 oz flour (00)
- 1 egg
- Semolina flour (or extra 00 flour, for tossing)
- 1/2-1 lbs. mushrooms, thinly sliced.
- 1 container of crème fraiche or vegan substitute
- Fresh thyme
- 1 large or 2 small shallots, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups of chicken or veggie stock
- 1 cup dried porcini mushrooms
- 2 Tbsp butter
- Fresh parsley
To make the gnocchi:
Steam potatoes (whole, with skin on) until tender when forked. While they are still warm, gently peel the potatoes and put them through a potato ricer into a large bowl. You can also grate the potatoes. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Measure out your potatoes into a new bowl, then add your egg (lightly beaten) and mix gently. Slowly add flour, gently mixing until all flour is added and mixture begins to hold together. Dump it out onto a floured wooden cutting board or clean countertop and continue to knead (very gently!) just until a smooth dough is formed.
Tear off an egg-sized piece of dough and use your hands to roll into a rope about 3/4-inch wide. Use a knife or bench-scraper to cut the rope into small pieces that are about as long as they are thick. At this point, you can cook the gnocchi in this shape. If you'd like to add grooves, use a fork or a gnocchi board. Use the flat part of your thumb to gently push the gnocchi down along the back of the tines of a fork (or the gnocchi board) to create ridges. As you make each batch of gnocchi, gently toss them in semolina flour and place on sheet pan lined with parchment or wax paper, ensuring they don't stick together. Set aside while you make your sauce.
For the mushroom sauce*:
Warm 2 cups of stock in a small saucepan, bring to a low simmer. Add 1 cup of dried porcini mushrooms, simmer covered for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, covered, and let the mushrooms soak for at least 15 minutes until the stock is thoroughly "mushroom-y", then remove mushrooms. For a more intense flavor you can chop and add these to your sauce, but I recommend saving these in the fridge to use in a homemade veggie stock.
Melt butter and a few tbs of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat, then add sliced mushrooms. Toss gently then leave them undisturbed in the pan for a few minutes to begin to brown. When mushrooms begin to brown, add shallots, garlic, thyme, salt & pepper. Cook for 5-10 minutes until shallots soften and begin to brown. Add white wine, scraping the bottom to deglaze the pan, then simmer until reduced by half. Add your mushroom stock and bring to a simmer, then whisk in creme fraiche and chopped fresh parsley. Sauce should be slightly thickened (it will thicken further after adding gnocchi).
Bring a large well-salted pot of water to a boil. Gently add gnocchi, stirring frequently. Gnocchi are cooking when they float to the surface, this should only take a few minutes at most. Use a slotted spoon to add them to the mushroom sauce and gently mix together. Served topped with fresh cracked pepper and more fresh parsley.
Note: If you don't want to make gnocchi, store bought is fine for this too. You can also make the gnocchi and pour over the brown butter sauce from the salad recipe with extra pine nuts if you have leftovers.
* You can also use veggie stock in place of porcini mushroom stock if you want it less mushroomy!