Jake and I decided we’d try to have one gourmet night a week, where we cook together and spend a bit more time on dinner than we normally would. Before I met him, I’d never even heard of gnocchi, but boy, I’m so glad I’m well acquainted with them now!
In Italian, gnocchi literally means “lumps,” and they’re basically little Italian dumplings made out of mashed potato, flour, egg, and seasoning. Simple, but delish! I’ve adapted this recipe from Jamie Oliver, the posh British chef. Some of his directions didn’t quite fly with me, so I’ve changed it a bit. Like when he says to knead the gnocchi dough- yes, well, gnocchi is not bread and all that ends up happening is the potato mess ends up stuck to your hands and you have to pry it off if you have any hope of getting any of the lil lumps in the boiling water. So I’ve spared you of this, should you try this at home. :) It looks like this, if you’re curious:
Gnocchi with Wild Mushrooms
adapted from Jamie Oliver’s Cook with Jamie
1 x basic gnocchi recipe
5 1/2 oz mixed wild mushrooms, cleaned and torn
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
a ladleful of vegetable stock
a small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Parmesan cheese, for grating
First of all, make your basic gnocchi recipe (see below) and put in the fridge to set. Then get a frying pan hot and put in a splash of olive oil. Add your mushrooms and garlic and toss for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the chopped chili, salt and pepper and butter. When the garlic is slightly golden, add your vegetable stock and continue to cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cook your gnocchi in a pan of salted boiling water for 4 minutes or until they float. Once cooked, the gnocchi are very delicate, so carefully drain them into a colander. (If you’re too heavy handed, they’ll just turn into mashed potato.) Add them to the mushroom mixture with the chopped parsley and mix well. Serve with some grated Parmesan.
For the lightest basic gnocchi:
6 medium potatoes
olive oil
1/2 a nutmeg, grated
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg yolk
1-2 handfuls of all-purpose flour
semolina flour
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Rub your potatoes with olive oil, prick them with a fork and lay them in a roasting tray. Put in the preheated oven and bake for an hour until the potatoes are fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. Allow them to cool for a couple of minutes and then, when they are still nice and hot, use a dish towel to pick up your potatoes one at a time, cut them in half, and carefully scoop the flesh out of the skins into a bowl. Mash with an electric hand mixer. When you have a lovely and smooth mashed potato, add the nutmeg, a teaspoon of salt, pinch of pepper, the egg yolk, and enough of the flour to bind your mixture – you may not need it all. Mix together with a wooden spoon until you have a dry, doughy consistency. Add a little water if you feel it’s too dry, or a little more flour if it’s too wet. If you’re unsure, try testing one by chucking it in some boiling water- if it falls apart, add a bit more flour to the dough.
One you have your gnocchi dough, divide it into 3 pieces and roll each piece out on a floured surface into long tubes about 3/4″ thick. Cut each of the tubes into 1 inch pieces. Place them on a bed of semolina flour on a tray and put in the fridge for 10 to 20 minutes to set.
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Can’t wait to get back to Paris and try this!!