Smoked Potato Gnocchi in...Smoked Potato Gnocchi in Porcini Consommé with Fresh Black Truffle

Delicate, oak-smoked Russet potato gnocchi served in a clarified, double-steeped wild porcini consommé, finished with shaved Umbrian black truffle.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Poke holes in the Russet potatoes. Place them in a stovetop smoker with oak wood chips for 15 minutes, then transfer to a 200°C (400°F) oven and bake for 45 minutes until completely tender.

2. 02

   Cut open the hot potatoes, scoop out the flesh, and pass immediately through a potato ricer onto a clean work surface. Let the steam dissipate for 5 minutes.

3. 03

   Mound the potato, make a well in the center, and add the egg yolk and smoked sea salt. Sprinkle the '00' flour over the top and gently bring the dough together. Knead very lightly just until a soft, homogenous dough forms to prevent gluten development.

4. 04

   Roll the dough into long ropes about 1.5cm in diameter. Cut into 2cm pillows and place on a tray dusted with flour. Cover with a dry cloth.

5. 05

   For the consommé, sauté the shallots and cremini mushrooms in a pan until deeply caramelized. Deglaze with white wine, reducing it by half. Add the vegetable stock, dried porcini, and thyme. Simmer gently for 30 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve and let cool slightly.

6. 06

   To clarify, whisk the egg whites until frothy, then stir them cold into the strained mushroom stock. Bring the liquid to a very gentle simmer. As the egg whites rise to form a 'raft', cook undisturbed for 15 minutes. Gently ladle the crystal-clear consommé out through a muslin-lined sieve and season with salt.

7. 07

   Cook the gnocchi in gently boiling salted water. Remove them with a slotted spoon exactly 1 minute after they float to the surface, transferring them directly into a pan with melted butter and a splash of consommé to glaze.

8. 08

   To serve, arrange the glazed gnocchi in warm, shallow bowls. Pour the hot, clear porcini consommé around them. Shave the fresh black truffle generously over the gnocchi and garnish with micro-basil.