Seema Pankhania’s French Onion Gnocchi
With the killer combination of sweet caramelised onions and fried mushrooms, pillowy gnocchi and melty Gruyère cheese, this dish is a real winter warmer.
Introduction
When it comes to winter soups, French onion soup reigns as the undisputed king. The slow caramelization of the onions is a labour of love in itself, resulting in a deep, rich flavour that’s worth every minute. In this recipe, those beautifully caramelized onions are paired with tender gnocchi, all swimming in a hearty stock infused with the umami goodness of miso and earthy mushrooms. It’s the kind of comforting meal that warms you from the inside out. Make this completely veggie by leaving out the Worcestershire sauce.
Ingredients
| 250g | chestnut mushrooms, sliced |
| salt | |
| olive oil | |
| 500g | onions, thinly sliced |
| 1 | vegetable stock cube |
| 1 tbsp | miso (optional) |
| 1 tbsp | Worcestershire sauce (or 1 anchovy, or omit) |
| 1 tbsp | balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar, or red wine vinegar) |
| 6 cloves | of garlic, finely chopped |
| 4 tbsp | butter |
| ½ tsp | dried thyme (or dried rosemary) |
| 150ml | dry white wine (or chicken or vegetable stock, red wine, or 3 tbsp white wine vinegar) |
| 500g | potato gnocchi |
| 100g | Gruyère cheese (or any melty cheese) |
| 50g | panko breadcrumbs |
| 50g | Parmesan, grated |
Method
Using the same pan (no need to clean it), cook the onions with a generous amount of oil on a medium heat for 25 minutes, until they are very caramelized. Add a tablespoon of water if the pan looks dry and continue cooking.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Crumble the vegetable stock cube into a bowl and add the miso, Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar. Stir in 500ml of boiling water to dissolve the stock cube.
Finely chop the garlic and add it to the onions along with the butter and thyme. Cook for 2 minutes, then deglaze with the white wine. Bring to a simmer, then add the vegetable stock mixture, cooked mushrooms and the gnocchi. Stir and cook for 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
Grate half the Gruyère and roughly chop the rest. Mix the roughly chopped cheese into the pan of gnocchi.
Transfer the gnocchi mixture to a baking dish and cover it with the breadcrumbs, the grated Gruyère and the Parmesan. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until it turns golden and crispy.
Reviews
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