GNOCCHI WITH WILD MUSHROOM BROWN BUTTER SAGE SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Microwave the russet potato until thoroughly cooked, set aside to cool. Press the cooled potato through a ricer into a large mixing bowl.
• 2. Add the egg and egg yolk, cheese, sea salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir gently into the potatoes. Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour and fold into the mixture until just incorporated, do not over stir. Bring the mixture together and form into a ball; cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator to chill 15+ minutes.
• 3. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the remaining flour onto a clean work surface and reserve the last 1/4 cup in an adjacent pile. Retrieve the chilled dough from the refrigerator and divide into 4 equal pieces. You're now ready to form the gnocchi. Working with approximately 1/4 of the dough mixture at a time, and adding as much flour needed to keep from sticking to the surface as you go, gently roll each portion into long strands approximately 12" in length. With a sharp knife or pastry cutter, slice each length into 1" pieces. Next, while pressing the tines of a fork against your work surface, roll each 1" dough piece up against the tines of the fork's back and then down again... this will form slight groves around the gnocchi that once cooked, will help the gnocchi hold sauce. You will end up with approximately 1 inch long by 3/4 inch wide grooved ovals. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Yield should be about 48 gnocchi. For best results, place gnocchi in the refrigerator to cool and set, about 2 hours.
• 4. To cook the gnocchi: Bring a large pasta pot of water to boil. On another burner, heat a large skillet. To the dry skillet, add the wild mushrooms and pine nuts and allow to sear briefly; remove from pan and set aside. To the same skillet, add the butter, sage leaves, onion and garlic. Sauté over medium heat until the onions are almost translucent and the sage leaves are crispy. Taste test for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as desired (about a pinch each.)
• 5. Meanwhile, add a teaspoon of sea salt to the pasta water. Remove the gnocchi from the refrigerator and drop into the salted, boiling water. With a slotted spoon, remove the gnocchi as soon as they float to the surface and add to the sauté of sage, onions, etc. Gently brown the gnocchi, ensuring each is coated in the butter mixture. Gnocchi will have a delicious, lightly crisped exterior, but will remain soft and fluffy inside. Once the gnocchi are gently browned, add the mushrooms and pine nuts back to the pan to warm through.
• 6. Serve family style sprinkled with the remaining 1/2 cup of grated cheese.