Last week during one of  the Sneak Peak Week  for New Haven’s International Festival of Arts & Ideas to be held June 13 to 27 this year, I conducted two restaurant tours to six of New Haven’s top restaurants.

On our “Slow Food” tour, participants discovered organic, local and sustainable flavors of the three visited restaurants:   Zinc (964 Chapel Street), Scoozi (1104 Chapel Street) and Heirloom (1157 Chapel Street), who each did a cooking demonstration as part of the tour.

I promised participants that I would post as many recipes as possible. This recipe is the first of those postings.

Housemade Sweet Potato gnocchi, Pan-seared Franklin Farms Organic Mushrooms and Urban Oaks Organic Mustard Greens in a Butter Sage Glaze finished with Shaved Beaver Brook Farms Abby Cheese

This recipe for two servings is from Jeff M. Caputo, Executive Chef of Scoozi, who says that gnocchi is “a task so simple yet you must work to perfect it.”

In a mixing bowl using your hands, combine 1 pound cooked, riced sweet potatoes and 12-ounces (about 2 1/2 to 3 cups) all-purpose flour. Add 1/2 egg white, 1/4 cup water, and a pinch of salt, pepper, cinnamon and 1/4 pinch of nutmeg to make a soft dough.

While kneading with your hands, add as much flour as you need to dry out the dough while still maintaining elasticity.

“This is the whole key to gnocchi right here. some master it some don’t! don’t be discouraged, rare is the individual (or chef!) who makes perfect gnocchi first time out! it’s all about the dough.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a long “snake” about 1-inch thick. Cut with a knife, roll in some four and shake  off excess.  Add gnocchi to  rapidly boiling water; when they float remove immediately!

In a saute pan using a teaspoon of olive oil, sear the cooked gnocchi for about 2 minutes, next add  2 ounces hen of the woods mushrooms, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage and some salt and pepper to taste. Saute for 2 minutes, add 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon butter and cook to a light glaze. Add a handful of mustard greens cut in 3-inch pieces, wilt them and serve topped with shaved Beaver Brook
Abby Cheese   Enjoy!

Jeff adds, “feel free to use this method and substitute some of your favorite local seasonal products!”

Restaurant Manager Jeff Horton poured and served Chamard’s Estate Reserve Connecticut Chardonnay, a perfect match for the dish.

Scoozi, 1104 Chapel Street, New Haven; 203.776.8368

Scoozzi on Urbanspoon