The FiFi Report 314

Roman gnocchi with mushrooms, pancetta and cheese…Adulterated from cuisine.com.au

A great little number to warm up winter nights: Just whip up the polenta/Gnocchi over the weekend - it needs about 2 hours in the fridge - so it’s ready to eat and then you bake it drizzled with mushrooms and cheese. Pancetta optional

You need for 4 shoppers, 10 fashion editors, 18 models :

750ml milk
250ml water
250g Italian semolina (coarse)** our just use quick instant polenta!
1 tbsp butter, chopped
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 tsp sea salt
100g grated gruyere or parmesan
400g mushrooms, e.g. swiss browns, wiped clean
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp roughly chopped parsley
Sea salt and pepper
8 thin slices pancetta or prosciutto cut into strips
A few sprigs of lemon thyme is nice too

• Slip into Gucci ski suit with detachable gloves.
• Wrap up in cashmere head to toe
• Ask George Clooney to crank up the fire and chop the wood.
• Pour a huge glass of wine.
• Find the mushrooms and give them a little clean and rinse.
• Lightly beat the yolks.
• Ask George to grate some cheese. He is so handy in the kitchen.
• Roughly chop the parsley.
• Pour another wine.
• Slice up the pancetta into strips as thin as GAGA
• Chop up the butter for easy melting and beating later.
• Now find a saucepan and heat milk and water to just before boil.
• Reduce heat to very low and slowly add the semolina, whisking constantly.
• Swap the whisk for a spoon when mixture thickens and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Otherwise just cook up instant polenta.
• Remove semolina from heat and then beat in the butter, then slowly add the egg yolks, salt
• Toss in grated cheese but keep one tablespoon for accessorizing later.
• Now spread mixture on a moisterised and oiled tray and smooth it all down like a face mask , with a wet palette knife to about one centimetre thick. Think as thick as Britney’s brain.
• Now leave to cool.
• Then toss in the fridge for at least two hours or overnight.
• Pour another wine and read the latest Tatler. So much better than Vanity Fair.
• Then when it’s hardened and ready you can cut it into discs to what ever size you want: Bigger is best wouldn’t you agree? Tip: use a cookie cutter to do this because it can be sticky.
• To cook you should arrange four chic rows of three slightly overlapping discs on a lightly moisterised baking dish.
• Scatter with remaining cheese.
• Heat oven to 200C.
• Now trim mushrooms, thickly slice and toss in with olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper. Ad a few sprigs of lemon Thyme as well.
• Toss mushrooms and pancetta on top of gnocchi and bake for 15-20 minutes.
• Tip: Use an egg slice to lift on to warm plates and serve.
• Yum.

** More like light, fluffy polenta than potato gnocchi, Roman-style gnocchi is made from semolina, a golden durum wheat flour sold at health food stores and Italian-style delis. It’s best made ahead and freezes well.