Clash and Contradiction: Wild Mushroom and Sage Gnocchi

Posted at Foodie Friday

I have made my own gnocchi before and it has always turned out sort of, well, sloppy. I wanted to try my hand at making it again, so I set about reading about how to make it. I had been boiling my potatoes instead of baking them, so they were absorbing too much water, finally it made sense!

This recipe sounds quite time consuming, and I suppose that it is, but at the same time the process of making the gnocchi is quite simple.

To make the main recipe (Wild Mushroom and Sage Gnocchi) you absolutely do not have to make your own gnocchi, the stuff sold at the store will do the job just fine.

But in case you want to try it out, because it is pretty fun (is my concept of fun just a little weird?), here's the recipe for basic gnocchi.

Basic Potato Gnocchi
Jamie Oliver
Makes a whole batch for 2-3 people

6 medium potatoes
Olive oil
Nutmeg, grated
1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt
Pepper
1 egg yolk
1-2 handfuls of plain flour
Cornmeal or semolina flour

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425F

2. Rub the cleaned potatoes with olive oil, prick them all over with a fork and lay them on a roasting tray. Place in the oven for 1 hour until they are crispy on the outside and cooked (fluffy, soft) on the inside. You can also do this in the microwave if you like. I have a baked potato setting on my microwave so I used that, but remember to prick them with a fork and wrap them in a paper towel so you don't make a mess of your microwave.

3. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then cut them in half, scoop out the fluffy inside and mash until it is smooth. You can push the potato through a sieve if that helps, or use a ricer if you have one.

5. Add the nutmeg, salt, pepper and egg yolk to the sieved potato. Add enough flour to bind the mixture. Mix together and knead with your hands until you have a dry, doughy consistency. Add more flour if too wet, and water if too dry.

6. Divide the dough into three pieces and roll each piece out on a floured surface into long tubes the thickness of a sausage. Cut each of the tubes into 1 inch pieces.

7. Place them on a a plate or tray sprinkled liberally with semolina flour or cornmeal, and allow to sit in the fridge for about 20 minutes to set.

Now, you can start on the actual food recipe.

Wild Mushroom and Sage Gnocchi

Gnocchi, either the stuff you've just made or a pre-bought package.
Mixed Wild Mushrooms, cleaned and torn into pieces (I just bought a couple of packs of the mushrooms that looked the most interesting at the German grocery store.)
Red pepper flakes (about half a tsp)
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp butter
a ladleful of vegetable stock
Fresh sage leaves, about 24 (I actually prefer less)
A small handful of fresh flat leafed parsley, roughly chopped.
Parmesan Cheese to grate over it.

While your gnocchi is setting in the fridge, get frying pan hot and put in a spalsh of olive oil. Add the mushrooms and toss for 2-3 minutes, then add the pepper flakes, garlic, salt, pepper and butter.

When the Garlic is slightly golden, add your vegetable stock and continue to cook on a medium heat for around 5 minutes.

Meanwhile cook your gnocchi in a pan of salted boiling water. It should take around 4 minutes for them to cook, they float when they're done. Once they're cooked they are very delicate so very carefully drain them into a colander to drain.

Add the gnocchi to the mushroom mixture, add the chopped parsley and mix well.

Serve with the sage leaves and some grated Parmesan.