Crispy Gnocchi with Smoky Fondue and Fresh Black Truffle

Procedure

• 1Bring water, butter, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to stir, beating dough rapidly to prevent it from sticking to the pot. Continue cooking until dough pulls away from sides of pot and all flour is incorporated.
• 2Transfer hot dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add mustard and cheese and beat on medium-low speed. Add eggs one at a time, allowing dough to fully incorporate egg before adding the next one. It should resemble a thick batter able to pipe. Transfer mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch tip.
• 3Let mixture rest 30 minutes at room temperature. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a simmer. Holding the bag over the boiling water, squeeze the mixture out of the bag, cutting it off with a paring knife into 1-inch lengths and letting them fall directly into the simmering water. Continue cutting off as many as you can in one minute, then stop.
• 4When all gnocchi have floated to the top, continue cooking until gnocchi are fully cooked to the center, about 3 minutes longer. Lift gnocchi with a strainer and transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and toss to coat. Repeat with remaining dough. Cool gnocchi and refrigerate until ready to continue cooking. Pasta should hold refrigerated for about a week.
• 5For Fondue: Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, whisking continuously, until it is foamy and pale yellow.
• 6While whisking constantly, slowly pour in warmed milk about 1/4 cup at a time. It will initially aggressively bubble and instantly turn into a thick paste, then look like scrambled eggs, and finally become smooth and runny once all the milk is whisked in. Be sure to whisk out all lumps.
• 7Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer. Whisk occasionally until it is pourable but thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Add the cheese a handful at a time, whisking after each addition.
• 8It may seize up and thicken. To loosen, add more milk a tablespoon at a time as needed until the desired consistency is reached. Taste and season as desired. Cover the surface with plastic if not using immediately.
• 9To Plate: Heat a sauté pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Add oil and butter and heat until melted but not browned. Add enough gnocchi to fill the bottom of the pan in a single layer, not stacked. Sauté until golden and crispy. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Repeat until all pasta is cooked or the desired amount is achieved. Portion into your favorite pasta bowls. Spoon copious amounts of the warm fondue over the crispy pasta and finish with fresh grated black truffle and fresh chopped chives. Enjoy with Trefethen 2022 Block 296 Cabernet Sauvignon. Happy cooking.