Recipe

Gnocchi

Step 1: Thoroughly heat two large nonstick skillets over medium heat and lubricate them well with clarified butter. Divide the gnocchi evenly between them and fry until they brown on one side, then turn and repeat. Remove from the heat and set aside, keeping warm.

Woodland Mushrooms

Step 1: Gently clean the mushrooms with a brush or a damp cloth.

Step 2: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter, and when it foams add the onions and mushrooms.

Step 3: When the mushrooms begin to soften, stir in the garlic. Season with salt and pepper. One minute later, deglaze with the wine, then add the herbs. Remove from the heat and cover loosely to keep warm.

Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Step 1: Heat the oil in a deep saucepan and sauté the onions until they wilt, 4-5 minutes.

Step 2: Add the garlic, cook a minute further, and then deglaze with the wine. When the liquid becomes syrupy, stir in the cream.

Step 3: When it begins to simmer, season lightly and then crumble the Gorgonzola into the sauce. Stir until the cheese is incorporated, then add the chives and correct seasonings. Do not reduce.

Step 4: Evenly distribute the gnocchi among warm pasta bowls, clustering them at the centre. Pour the sauce around and over the gnocchi, but do not douse them. Mound the chanterelles carefully over the top, garnish each bowl with a judicious sprinkling of chive oil and a light scattering of herbs, and serve at once.

Substitutions: Nearly any blue cheese of quality, from Danish blue to Roquefort to bleu de St-Benoit, will work with this dish. Other seasonal mushrooms, such as morels, lobster mushrooms, and bluefoot, work nicely, too.

Suggested wine: Amarone or a rich Cabernet

Reprinted with permission from Mark McEwan’s Great Food At Home (2010 Penguin Group Canada).

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