Potato Gnocchi with Wild Mushrooms
Submitted by djcollins2
Potato gnocchi with wild mushrooms: pillowy handmade gnocchi from salt-baked potatoes, tossed with morels, porcini, shiitakes, and oyster mushrooms in a garlic-shallot pan sauce with Parmesan.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1 hrsReal Italian gnocchi is a revelation after a lifetime of the gummy, doughy grocery-store kind. The trick is in the potatoes. Baking on a bed of rock salt (not boiling) drives off moisture and yields fluffy, dry potato flesh that needs minimal flour to bind. Less flour equals lighter gnocchi, the whole game.
Running the baked potatoes through a food mill while still hot is the second key step. Cold potatoes get gummy; the mill breaks them apart without mashing them into a wet paste. Add egg, seasonings, and just enough flour to form an airy dough, and roll into cylinders.
The wild mushroom sauce is the show. Morels, porcini, shiitakes, and oyster mushrooms all behave differently; quartet brings umami depth that single-variety mushrooms can’t match. Olive oil over high heat is essential for proper browning (not steaming).
Deglaze with chicken broth, finish with Parmesan and chives. The gnocchi stay distinct in the light sauce, not buried in cream.
Pro Tips
- Don’t over-work the dough. Kneading develops gluten and makes tough gnocchi.
- Test one gnocchi before cooking the whole batch. Adjust flour if they fall apart.
- Roll each gnocchi over the back of a fork for the classic ridges that catch sauce.
- Work fast. Dough that sits gets sticky and harder to shape.
Variations
- Use cremini mushrooms if wild aren’t available; they lack the complexity but still work.
- Finish with a drizzle of white truffle oil for extra luxury.
- Add fresh thyme or tarragon with the chives for herbal depth.
Ingredients
Directions
Preparing the Gnocchi: Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190℃).
Place rinsed potatoes on a bed of rock salt and bake until dry and fluffy, approximately 40 minutes.
While hot, peel potatoes and run through a food mill.
Add eggs, seasonings, and flour, reserving ¼ cup of flour in which to roll the gnocchi.
Roll into a smooth airy dough; do not over-work it.
Roll by hand into ½ inch cylinders.
Cut into one inch pieces on a floured surface and roll each piece over the back of a fork to make shell - shaped gnocchi.
Blanch in simmering, unsalted water and cook for two minutes or until they float for 30 seconds.
Remove from water and reserve.
Preparing the Wild Mushrooms and Parmigiano: Clean and rinse all mushrooms and pat dry.
Heat a heavy sauté pan with extra virgin olive oil and sauté the mushrooms vigorously at high heat.
Add shallots and garlic; sauté.
Deglaze with chicken stock, season, reduce and finish with Parmigiano and chives.
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