I finally got my hands on a copy of Melissa Clark’s Dinner In One cookbook.
To say that the cookbook’s delivery was “delayed” is an understatement.
Seems that in the crush of pandemic-delayed shipping, the original cargo container carrying Clark’s cookbook went plunging into the Atlantic Ocean somewhere south of the Azores when the cargo ship Madrid Bridge took a violent roll in turbulent seas.
That was last February.
Clark took the loss in stride. She posted a message to her readers that ominously began “In keeping with the zeitgeist of 2022, I regret to inform you…” and then joked that Poseidon and his sea nymphs were no doubt dining in style. Gotta love Melissa.
Fortunately for cooks, the cookbooks have now been reprinted and you can find them in your favorite bookstore or on Amazon here.
If Dinner In One‘s recipe for Wine-Braised Mushrooms and Gnocchi is any indication, this promises to be a very good book indeed.
Clark, if you don’t know of her work, is a regular in the food section of the New York Times and a prolific cookbook writer. Her Dinner in French and Dinner-Changing The Game are treasured tomes in my burgeoning cookbook collection.
Here is the recipe as I prepared it in my kitchen. In Clark’s original recipe, the stew was served on its own with a dollop of sour cream. I served my version atop a puddle of creamy polenta.
Whether you are a sea nymph or a home cook, this is one great dish.
Wine-Braised Mushrooms With Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 5 T. unsalted butter (divided)
- 1 1/4 pounds mushrooms
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 leeks (sliced--white parts only)
- 3 garlic cloves (2 minced and 1 grated)
- 1 T. tomato paste
- 1/2 t. smoked paprika
- 1 C. dry red wine (I used merlot)
- 2 C. vegetable broth
- 1 T. soy sauce
- 4 sprigs of thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 12 ounces gnocchi
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnishing
Directions
- Step 1 Chop the mushrooms into 1/2 inch pieces. I used cremini mushrooms for this dish.
- Step 2 Melt 2 T. butter in a large Dutch oven. Sauté half the mushrooms over medium heat in the butter for about five minutes.Don’t stir the mushrooms at this stage. You want to get a little browning on the mushrooms. After sautéing the mushrooms on one side, turn the mushrooms over and repeat the process. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside. Repeat the process with the other half of the mushrooms using 2 more tablespoons of butter. Remove the second half of the mushrooms from the pan and add to the first half. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Step 3 Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in the Dutch oven you used for the mushrooms. Add the sliced leeks and sauté them for about 8 minutes until they are lightly browned and have begun to soften. Add the minced garlic and a large pinch of salt and sauté for another minute. Stir in the tomato paste and the smoked paprika and continue to cook for one more minute.
- Step 4 Add the wine, vegetable broth, soy sauce, thyme and bay leaf to the Dutch oven with the leeks. Scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pot as you stir the mixture.
- Step 5 Add the mushrooms back into the Dutch oven, partially cover the pot and simmer the mushroom mixture for about 15 minutes.
- Step 6 After 15 minutes, add the gnocchi and stir. Continue to cook for another 30 to 40 minutes. You want the sauce to thicken.
- Step 7 Stir in the grated garlic and adjust the seasonings to your taste. Remove the thyme and the bay leaf.
- Step 8 Serve hot over polenta.
- Step 9 Cook’s Note: I used frozen gnocchi from Trader Joe’s to save a bit of time.
