Seasonal Produce: Carrots, Turnips, Fennel, Red and Choigga Beets, Yellow Foot Mushrooms

Potato Gnocchi with Rabbit Bolognese & Parmesan Reggiano

Rabbit Bolognese

1 lb. ground pork 1 bunch thyme, chopped rough

1 each whole rabbit, cut into quarters 3 C chicken stock

1qt. Muir Glen crushed tomatoes ½ C cream

2 carrots, diced small ¼ lb. Parm. Reggiano

2 yellow onions, diced small ½ C extra virgin olive oil

2 ribs celery, diced small salt & pepper to taste

2 bulbs garlic (1 bulb crushed, 1 bulb minced)

2 Tbsp. fennel seed

¼ lb. unsalted butter

1 bunch sage, chopped rough

 

Using a thick non-reactive saucepan, heat a thin film of olive oil until almost smoking. Add rabbit and cook until golden brown, turning once. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Using the same pan, add half of all vegetable, season with salt and pepper, and cook over medium heat until vegetables are soft.

 

Bring chicken stock to a boil in a medium pot and set aside. Add rabbit to vegetables. Add crushed garlic and fennel seed. Cover with chicken stock and foil, braise until rabbit is tender and falls off the bone. Cool, then pick meat from bone and strain liquid and reserve. Using large, thick bottomed saucepan, heat remainder of olive oil, then add ground pork and cook until golden brown. Add vegetables, rabbit meat, minced garlic, herbs, tomatoes, and half of braising liquid and butter.

 

Cook until vegetables are soft and sauce is thick, stirring often, then cool. To serve, add gnocchi to sauce with cream and shaved Parmigiano. Warm and serve.

 

Potato Gnocchi

 

2 lb. russet potatoes

½ lb. all purpose flour

3 egg yolks

1 T kosher salt

3 T cold unsalted butter

 

Bake potatoes at 350 degrees on baking pan until soft, about 1 hour. Remove from oven. Peel skins while hot. Rice potatoes and butter together using a small-hole food mill. Place potatoes on a well-floured surface. Make a well in the middle of potato puree. Add yolks, flour and salt to the well in the potatoes and mix with a fork to combine.

 

Knead dough until firm, then allow to rest 10 minutes. Divide dough into 6 equal parts, roll into 1” x 6” cylinder shapes. Using a sharp knife cut into ¾” long pieces. Place on floured cookie sheet and freeze. Bring salted water to a boil, cook 5-8 gnocchi at a time until they rise to the top. Remove from water and add to sauce.