Gnocchi

The day before or early in the morning, prepare the beef cheek. In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the celery, carrots, onions, beef cheek, and 4 quarts of water. Cook for 4-5 hours, or until fork tender. Add the herbs for 15 minutes more. Remove the beef cheek from the pot and cube it, removing the fat as you go. Strain the stock from the vegetables and set it aside for the sauce.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

To make the gnocchi, wash the potatoes under cold water and roast in oven with the skin on until fork tender, about 80 minutes. Peel the potatoes while they are still hot and using a ricer, rice them into a large bowl. Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil with all the dried spices. Once boiling, strain out the spices and leave the water for the gnocchi.

Add flour to the riced potatoes to achieve a crumbly consistency. Add eggs and knead to reach a dough-like consistency. Turn out the dough and cut it into six equal pieces. Roll out each piece into a log and cut it into small 1 inch pieces to make the gnocchi.

Divide the gnocchi into 4 batches and slowly add to the water, one batch at a time. Once they float to the top, allow them cook for one minute, and then scoop out of the water with a strainer. Allow to cool on a sheet pan in a single layer.

To prepare the sauce, heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the celery, carrots, and onions and sweat until soft. Add the marrow and the reserved beef cheek stock. Add the diced potatoes and bunch of herbs. Cook over medium heat for about an hour, until sauce is reduced by half. Strain the vegetables and herbs from the sauce.

Blanch the peas in salted water for about 1-2 minutes and then shock in a bath of ice water. Set aside.

Using a spoon, scrape the black gills out of the mushrooms. Julienne the mushrooms, then slice in half to make bite-sized slices. Place a cooling rack on a sheet pan and arrange slices on the rack (this allows the mushroom juices to drip down while roasting). Place in oven for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on softness desired. Sprinkle the roasted mushrooms with salt, pepper, and vegetable oil.

To assemble the gnocchi as an appetizer, put 15 pieces in a sauté pan with margarine to achieve a light crust on both sides. Add the beef cheek, mushrooms, and peas and sauté for one more minute. Add ½ cup of sauce and let it reduce by a quarter of the volume. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve right away. To serve as an entrée size, use 30 pieces of gnocchi and prepare the same as above.