POTATO GNOCCHI IN CHANTERELLE NAGE

-By March 2011 Member Spotlight Linda Strong

This is a comforting bowl of rich colorful broth with cheesy pillows of Italian potato Gnocchi and tender golden local Pacific NW Chanterelles; just what you need on a cold, rainy October day.  The orange gremolata is a flavor spike that complements the Gnocchi and the Chanterelles.  It’s a real standout with a glass of good Spanish Sherry.  Enjoy!!

Nage Ingredients:

• 3 slices bacon, cut into lardons
• 1 tbsp butter, unsalted
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 oz onion, brunoise
• 1 oz celery, brunoise
• 2 oz carrot, brunoise
• 4 oz bell pepper; colors, brunoise
• 1 tbsp thyme, picked
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 32 oz chicken consommé, hand made, fully flavored

Procedure:

1. In a 12” sauté pan sauté the bacon lardons until golden brown and crispy; set them aside on paper towels to drain.  Pour out the bacon fat and wipe out the pan; do not wash.
2. In the hot pan, add the 1 tbsp butter and the 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, onion, celery, and bell pepper and sweat until tender crisp.
3. Add the thyme, rosemary and chicken consommé and simmer for 10 minutes.

Chanterelle Mushrooms Ingredients:

• 8 oz chanterelles, brushed off and torn into pieces
• 1 oz butter
• 1 oz extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp salt

Procedure:

1. In a separate preheated pan add the butter and extra virgin olive oil to melt together.
2. Add the chanterelle pieces and sauté until tender adding salt to taste, about 5 to 8 minutes; set aside.

Potato Gnocchi Ingredients:
–makes about 40 pieces

Gnocchi

• 1 lb whole russet potatoes pierced with toothpick all over
• 2 egg yolks, beaten
• 4.5 to 6 oz (1 to 1 ½ cups) flour
• 2 oz Parmigiano Reggiano finely grated
• ½ tsp salt

To Cook

• 1 gallon water, heated to simmer
• 2 tbsp kosher salt

To Finish

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Procedure:

1. Bake potatoes at 350-deg F until tender; 35 to 45 minutes.  Remove from the oven and split open to release the heat and steam; let cool until just warm.
2. Scoop the potato from the skins and pass through a potato ricer into a bowl.
3. Add 4.5 oz (1 cup) of the flour and the egg yolks along with the Parmigiano Reggiano and salt.
4. Mix together with a fork or your hands, adding as little additional flour as possible until you have a workable dough; do not over mix or the resulting Gnocchi will be tough.
5. Cut the dough ball into 4 pieces.
6. Lightly dust work surface with flour and roll out one segment of the dough into a ¾” cylinder; about 8 to 10 inches long; cut into 1” pieces with bench knife.
7. Flour a butter paddle and roll the pieces over the paddle to gently imprint grooves; you can also imprint grooves with a fork, but I find the butter paddle a little easier.
8. While you wait for the water to boil, put the Gnocchi in the refrigerator. The Gnocchi can be frozen at this point for up to a month; then cook from their frozen state; it just takes a minute or two longer.  You’ll have more Gnocchi than required for this recipe.
9. Heat a sauté pan and add 2 tbsp unsalted butter and 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and hold on very low heat while you cook the Gnocchi.
10. To cook, heat 1 gallon of water in a large pot to a gentle simmer and add 2 tbsp salt;
11. Add the Gnocchi about 10 to 12 pieces at a time and poach until they float to the surface.  Don’t add too many at once, you don’t want the water to cool down.
12. Remove them with a slotted spoon directly into the sauté pan, gently toss to coat.

Orange Gremolata Ingredients:

• Zest from one large orange
• 1 large clove garlic minced
• 1/8th tsp salt, kosher
• 2 tbsp peppery extra virgin olive oil

Procedure:

1. Zest the orange into the mixing bowl to capture the oils as you zest.
2. Mix together with the garlic, salt and olive oil; set aside. 

Assemble the dish

• Flat leaf parsley leaves picked and roughly chopped
• Chives cut into confetti pieces
• Bacon lardons
• Orange Gremolata

Assembly Instuctions:

1. In a warm wide rimmed soup bowl place 6 Gnocchi from the sauté pan.
2. Add 3 or 4 pieces of the torn sautéed Chanterelles.
3. Ladle in 1 cup Nage.
4. Top with ½ tsp Orange Gremolata, 1 tsp bacon lardons, a sprinkle of chopped parsley and chives.  Serve hot.