Potato Gnocchi

• 2 Russet Potato, about 1.5 lbs
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 2 tablespoons butter

1. Scrub the potato and put them in a medium pot. Cover with water by 2 inches, add 1 tsp kosher salt, and bring to a boil. Cook until the potato are tender to the center, about 25 minutes. Drain the potato, put back in the pot, and let sit 5 minutes.
2. Using your hands or a soup spoon, peel the potato. Put into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the butter, 1 pinch of freshly grated nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Beat on medium until the potato is smooth and very fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Switch the whisk for the paddle attachment. Add the flour and put the machine on medium-low. Work the flour in until a dough ball is formed.
4. Place the dumplings onto a floured sheet pan and continue to make all of the dumplings. They can be covered and chilled for 8 hours or frozen at this point.
5. When you are ready to cook, bring a wide pot of water up to a boil. Salt generously and add half of the gnocchi. Bring back to a boil. When the gnocchi float, let cook for 30 seconds more and then remove to a serving dish. Bring water back to boil to cook the other half.

• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup grated parmesan
• 1/2 teaspoon porcini salt, optional
• Freshly cracked black pepper

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallot and sweat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and saute until the release their juices and then cook off the juices until the pan is almost dry.
2. Add the garlic, stirring until fragrant. Then add the cream and reduce by 1/3. Season with porcini salt (or kosher) and lots of cracked black pepper. Stir in half of the parmesan.

Bring it all together – put the sauce on the bottom of the plate, top with gnocchi and the rest of the parmesan!  Eat up with a glass of Chianti!