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Freshly grated nutmeg is awesome. Just smelling it puts me in a good mood. And its taste is as delicious as its aroma, in my opinion. In this recipe the nutmeg adds a new, more complex dimension to the otherwise slightly bland gnocchi and it works very well with the earthy flavors of the mushrooms. It’s still a simple recipe, easy and quick to make, but a little more sophisticated than just plain gnocchi.
For a light, vegetarian meal you can make the gnocchi with the mushroom sauce but if you’re in the mood for a more substantial meal, serve them with cinnamon clove beef Stroganoff (recipe below).
Nutmeg Gnocchi with Mushrooms or Cinnamon Clove Beef Stroganoff
You have two choices with this recipe: For a vegetarian lunch or light dinner, make only the gnocchi and the mushroom sauce. For a more substantial meal, skip the mushroom sauce and instead serve the gnocchi with the cinnamon clove beef Stroganoff.
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
For the gnocchi:
- 2 pounds Russet potatoes
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- pinch of fresh black pepper
For the mushroom sauce:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons minced yellow onion
- 2 cups brown beech mushrooms, stems trimmed
- 2 cups sliced oyster mushrooms
- parsley for garnish
For the cinnamon clove beef Stroganoff:
- 1.5 pounds tri tip steak
- 3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- one onion, diced
- 4 ounces oyster mushrooms
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1.5 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons sour cream, plus more if desired
Instructions:
For the gnocchi:
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Poke a few holes into the raw potatoes with a fork (watch your fingers while you are doing that…).
- Bake potatoes until a knife goes through easily (1 hour – 1 hour and 15 minutes).
- Peel the potatoes and put them through a potato ricer into a bowl. Let the riced potatoes cool for a few minutes.
- Add egg, flour, salt and nutmeg to the potatoes and distribute them evenly by stirring them around with a fork.
- Carefully knead the ingredients just enough to let them come together into a ball.
- Divide the dough into 4 pieces.
- Roll each piece into a 1/2-inch-thick rope.
- Cut the rope into 1-inch-long gnocchi. (If you like, lightly press and roll each gnocchi down the backside of a fork to create ridges).
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
- Add half of the gnocchi and cook until they float to the surface (1 – 2 minutes).
- Spoon the gnocchi out and into a bowl and cook the remaining half in the same fashion.
- Cover the bowl and set aside.
For the mushroom sauce:
- Melt the butter in a skillet.
- Add the onions and saute until translucent (about 3 minutes).
- Add the mushrooms and saute for another 3 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve gnocchi with mushrooms and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
For the cinnamon clove beef Stroganoff:
- Cut the beef into thin strips, trimming off excess fat as you go.
- Pat the beef dry, then season with salt and pepper.
- Heat one tablespoon of oil in a a Dutch oven and brown the meat on all sides. Do this step in batches (adding more oil as needed) so you don’t overcrowd the pot. Sear the meat well but watch out not to burn it.
- Transfer the meat and accumulated juices into a bowl and set aside.
- Add more oil to the Dutch oven, then add the onion, mushrooms and cinnamon and saute for about 5 minutes.
- Add broth, red wine, cloves and beef (with accumulated juices), bring to a boil, then put on the lid, turn the heat down and simmer for 45 minutes.
- Turn the heat off and remove the cloves.
- To make a roux, melt the butter in a skillet.
- Add the flour to the butter and whisk until combined.
- Add the cream and whisk until well combined with no clumps.
- Add the roux to the Stroganoff and stir well.
- Bring back to a brief boil.
- Turn the heat off and let the stew cool a little before adding the sour cream (the sour cream will curdle if the stew is too hot).
- Serve with the nutmeg gnocchi or with wild rice.
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I am in the same boat as Pang, I’ve never made gnocchi! You make them look so light and delicious that I might have to give them a go soon.
Beautiful images, wonderful styling.
Thank you so much, Bob! I think this was just about the first time I produced a “food preparation process” photo that turned out all right. :)
I have never made gnocchi, but this post might be the push I need. :) Your photos are so beautiful, and I agree on small pepper mill is hard to find. I am loving this post, Nicole <3 <3
Thank you so much for your sweet comment, Pang! I like to make gnocchi at home because they taste fresher and are less dense and not as dry as the store-bought kind. They are easy to make as long as you have a potato ricer. :)