Mushroom and Chives Gnocchi in Fish Stock with Plenty of Parmesan
The secret to a good gnocchi is stock
Element 1: Easy fish stock with lentils
Pro tip: feel free to skip this step if you have stock in the fridge! I like to use a milder fish stock but chicken stock would go well with mushrooms and chives too. Also if you don’t love eating fish, this is a great way to hide it in your diet.
Pro tip: I make this with lentils and the leftovers in the pot can go into a lentils-beef bolognese tomorrow. Don’t be alarmed if we only use a few ladles. Any leftover stock can be used to cook other things as well.
Pro tip: this is a very flexible recipe. I use whatever seasonable vegetables I have leftover. Feel free to use any combination of a traditional french mirepoix (eg. carrots, celery, onions) or bouquet garni (eg. bay leaf, thyme) instead. A traditional french recipe would use fish bones, leftover fish etc, but I just use the fish I have. Potatoes might cloud the stock but I enjoy the earthy taste.
Pro tip: we normally do not salt the stock to give more flexibility when cooking
This week, I will be using 1x leek, 1x carrot, 1x small potato, 1x portion of fish, and a handful of lentils
Slice leeks thinly, dice the carrots and potatoes into 1cm cubes roughly
In your stockpot, panfry vegetables with a tablespoon of oil until it has a little colour - start with the leeks, then add carrots, then potatoes
Add in a handful of lentils, fish, and 2L of water
Leave in pressure cooker at high for 2 minutes then natural pressure release (leave for 20-30 minutes), or bring to a boil then let it simmer at medium-low heat for 20 minutes and rest for 30 minutes, both with lid on
Pro tip: I normally just throw it into the pressure cooker and go walk my dog!
Element 2: Gnocchi with mushroom and chives
Preheat your pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter, panfry the a pack of gnocchi (about 2 ½ cups) to give them a little colour (be careful not to burn them)
Add in mushroom, stir
Add in ¾ cup of fish stock and chopped chives, bring to a simmer and stir
Plate, shred a generous serving of parmesan, and add a sprinkle of fresh chives to serve
Pro tip: the starch from the potatoes will naturally thicken the stock! No thickeners needed.
Happy cooking! 🍖