…cause here it comes

Last Thanksgiving, we spent the day cooking in our pajamas.  It was a lovely day.

Besides the usual turkey and stuffing, we tackled a new challenge: homemade herb gnocchi with mushrooms and butternut squash.  While I’d selected the recipe a few weeks before T-day, I hadn’t noticed that the gnocchi was not made from potato; it was hopelessly Parisian.

The gnocchi called for a demanding mix of ingredients, including fresh chervil, chives, parsley, and tarragon, as well as half a dozen eggs, Emmentaler cheese, Dijon mustard, flour and butter.  It also required two separate refrigeration appointments. A very French recipe.

After poaching the gnocchi, we then prepared the butternut squash with butter and sage, and the shiitake mushrooms with butter, shallots, fresh thyme, chives, and parsley.  It was quite the decadent accompaniment to the grand old bird, and easily took up most of the day’s cooking hours.

We devoured the dish in what felt like seconds compared to the elongated preparation.

Herb Gnocchi with Mushrooms and Butternut Squash by Thomas Keller

• The gnocchi recipe makes twice as much gnocchi as required
• We used every last bit, minus the dozen or so taste-tested pieces
• We did not feel that the final brown butter sauce was necessary

Warning: Both recipes require multiple readings.  I suggest a printer.