Gnocchi with Morel Mushrooms and Spring Peas
Inspired by Ethan Stowell
Serves 3-4

If morels aren’t available in your part of the world, shiitakes would be delicious instead.  I would use more of them, maybe closer to ¾ of  a pound and just slice them in half.  I would not have put oregano and mint together but it is a great combination.

For the gnocchi
2 large russet potatoes, scrubbed
Kosher salt
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
½ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

For the dish
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
¼ lb. morel mushrooms, rinsed, ends trimmed, and sliced in half
¾ cup peas, fresh or frozen
2 tbsp. fresh mint, chopped
2 tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Olive oil, for garnish
Truffle salt, for garnish (optional)

Make the gnocchi
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  Prick the potatoes all over with a sharp knife and sprinkle them generously with salt.  Place in the oven directly on the rack and bake until tender, about 1 hour.  Allow to cool slightly, just enough to handle.

Lay a sheet of parchment paper on a sheet pan.  Put the potatoes through a ricer, letting them fall onto the parchment and discarding the skins.  Spread the potatoes out on the parchment and allow them to rest until warm, but not hot enough to cook the eggs.  Gather up the parchment and dump the potatoes into medium-size bowl.

Add the egg yolks to the potatoes and stir to combine.  Sprinkle the flour over the top of the mixture and knead gently in the bowl until the egg and flour are distributed.  Turn the dough out onto a floured board and continue to knead, adding extra flour as necessary, until the dough is no longer sticky.

Divide the dough into quarters.  Very gently roll each quarter into a log about 1-inch in diameter (or smaller, if you like), then cut crosswise into 1-inch squares.  To create ridges, either use a gnocchi paddle or roll each square over the tines of a fork.  Move the squares cut corner to cut corner.  Allow each gnocchi to fall onto a well-floured sheet pan as you finish.  If you use a fork, invert the fork so that the tines point down.  Start at the tines nearest the handle, and roll the dumpling firmly but gently down the tines.

You can hold the gnocchi on a sheet pan, as long as they are not touching, for a few hours.  Or, you can blanch them which allows you to hold them up to one day in the refrigerator.

To blanch, bring a pot of water to a boil.  Cook the gnocchi, 15 to 20 at a time, just until they float to the surface, 1 to 2 minutes.  Either add sauce and serve immediately or place on a well-oiled sheet pan and cover with plastic wrap.  (DT: After blanching I put mine in a greased plastic container and drizzled them with a bit of olive oil to make sure they didn’t stick together.)

Finish the dish
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Melt the butter in a large sauté pan.  Add the morels and sauté until tender and starting to turn brown, about 5 minutes.  Add the peas and fresh herbs and turn the heat to medium-low.  Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste.  Add the gnocchi to the boiling water and as they are ready, scoop them directly into the pan with the vegetables.  I made this dish fairly dry, but you can make it saucier by adding some white wine to the pan.

Garnish each portion with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, a drizzle of olive oil, and light pinch of truffle salt.