Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

------------------------GNOCCHI----------------------------------
2 c Boiling Water -finely grated
1 oz Dried Porcini Mushrooms 1 lg Egg
-(1 cup loose pack) 2 1/2 ts Kosher Salt
2 md Idaho Potatoes, Skin On 1/2 ts Black Pepper -- freshly
Scrubbed -ground
1/3 c Parmigiano-Reggiano 1 c All-Purpose Flour

-------------------PARMAGIANO CREAM-----------------------------
3 tb Butter -strips 1 " Long
3/4 c Red Onion -- sliced 1 c Red Or Green Swiss Chard
2 tb Garlic -- minced Or
5 oz Shiitake Mushrooms -- slice 1 c Spinach -- clean, stem
remove stems -chop
1/4 c Parsley Stems 1/4 c Parmagiano-Reggiano --
1 c Dry White Wine -grated
1 c Reserved Porcini Liquid 1 tb Kosher Salt -- plus 1/2 tsp
-(from the gnocchi) 1/8 ts Black Pepper -- freshly
2 c Heavy Cream -ground
2 oz Prosciutto, Cut In Thin 2 tb Chopped Parsley

1. Pour the boiling water over the porcini and soak until fully
reconstituted, about 15 mins. Lift the mushrooms out of the water
with a slotted spoon and set aside. Strain the liquid through a
coffee filter to remove any grit and dirt. Reserve the liquid for
later use in the sauce. Squeeze the mushrooms with your hands until
very dry and puree to a completely smooth paste in a food processor.
2. Boil the potatoes in water to cover with 1 tsp salt until easily
pierced with the point of a knife. When the potatoes are cooked but
still warm, peel them and immediately pass through a food mill or
ricer onto a large cookie sheet. It is important to move the food
mill over the cookie sheet so the potatoes fall evenly in one layer.
Above all, do not move the potatoes around; the less they are handled
at this point, the better the texture of the finished gnocchi.
Refrigerate until cool, about 15 mins.
3. Transfer the cooled potatoes to a clean work surface, create a
mound, and form a well in the center. Add the porcini puree, cheese,
egg, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper to the well. With your
fingertips, combine these ingredients with the potato, stirring to
form a rough dough. Sprinkle the flour over the potato mix and
combine gently. Knead the dough, using a downward press and quarter
turn motion with the heel of your hand, until it is smooth, uniformly
colored, and elastic. This should take 8 to 10 mins.
4. Form the dough into a rectangular loaf, 8 x 4 inches, and slice
into 8 pieces. Be sure both your work space and your hands are clean
of any flour or dough. Begin pressing each piece of dough onto the
table while simultaneously rolling it back and forth between your
spread-out fingers and palms. This requires a delicate touch and some
practice, but it is not difficult. You will be forming a cylinder
about 18 inches long, as thick as your index finger, Move the
cylinder away from the work area and dust lightly with flour. Repeat
with the remaining pieces.
5. Line up 4 of the 8 cylinders horizontally. With a sharp knife, cut
across them to form 1 1/4 inch dumplings. Repeat with remaining 4
cylinders. Form the dumplings into the traditional gnocchi crescent
shape: hold a fork backside up in 1 hand; with the thumb of your
other hand, press each dumpling against the back of the fork forming
an indentation while simultaneously rolling it down over the tines.
This makes a decorative ribbed pattern on one side and a pocket to
hold the sauce on the other.
6. Lay the gnocchi in a single layer on a cookie sheet so they don't
stick together. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.
7. For the sauce, melt 1/2 the butter in a 2-qt nonreactive saucepan
over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, mushroom stems, and parsley
stems. Cook until wilted but not browned, about 4 mins. Add the wine
and porcini liquid. Bring to a boil and reduce to 1/3 of original
volume. Add heavy cream and boil, reducing until it coats the back of
a spoon. Strain the sauce and set aside.
8. In a medium saute pan, heat the remaining butter over med-high
heat until it begins to brown. Add the sliced shiitakes and saute for
2-3 mins.
9. Return the cream sauce to a medium heat and stir in the sauteed
mushrooms, prosciutto, spinach, and half the cheese. Cook over med.
heat for 3-4 mins. Season with 1/2 tsp salt and the pepper.
10. Bring 4 qts of water to a boil and add 1 tbs salt. Add all the
gnocchi at once. With a slotted spoon, remove each dumpling as it
floats to the surface and drain in a colander. Continue until all of
the gnocchi have risen to the top. When all the gnocchi are cooked
and drained, place them in the cream sauce and warm over med. heat.
Spoon into a warm bowl, sprinkle with chopped parsley and remaining
cheese, and serve immediately.

NOTE: If you are not planning to cook the gnocchi the same day you
make them, freeze in a single layer, covered for up to 1 week.

Recipe By : The Union Square Cafe Cookbook - ISBN 0-06-017013-1
From: Dan Klepach Date: 08-20-95 (23:48) (159) Fido: Cooking

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