It was a week unlike a typical one. I tell people that despite my job, I try not to go out every single night. Yet this week would prove me wrong and because I was about to embark on some travel, I wanted to catch up with friends. And because they were girlfriends and it was a week of torrential downpours, Mr NQN quite wisely opted to stay at home and play on his computer and watch the Tour de France. I left him provisions to eat including a duck and vegetable broth and a gnocchi a la Parisienne as I know that he loves pasta with creamy sauces.
Gnocchi a la Parisienne is a toothsome mix of gnocchi pillows baked in a creamy roux sauce with garlic mushrooms. I topped it with cheese and slices of truffle butter-the fresh truffle that we were given at Chateau Yering. It was a heady, fragrant comforting mix – if you were to describe it like a person it would be kind of like your down to earth but sophisticated friend.
The broth came from a larger container in the fridge and it was solid-jellied to be exact. You see I had made the stock in the pressure cooker and because the gelatine was released from the bones it became quite jellied when cold. When I put some in a bowl that afternoon I expected him to heat it up and drink it like a soup. I left instructions on the cooking time and thought that he would be fine.
Later that night I asked him if he enjoyed his dinner.
“Yeah the bake stuff was really good but that jelly stuff was weird” he said shaking his head.
“What jelly stuff?” I asked him. And then it dawned on me. The poor thing had eaten a bowlful of the cold, solid jellied broth. I burst out laughing and said “That was the soup, you didn’t heat it up?”
Truffle butter
He looked at me surprised. “Whaaa? No….” with a confused tone before musing aloud. “I thought it was kinda weird for jelly and not sweet”. He then paused and added with a wry grin ”Uh oh this is going to make it on the blog isn’t it?”
Yes my darling husband it is 
So tell me Dear Reader, how much do you go out in a typical week and how often would you eat out at a restaurant or cafe? And bloggers, do your friends or relatives ever ask you not to put something about them on your blog? 
Gnocchi à la Parisienne
An original recipe by Not Quite Nigella
Serves 3-4 (enough for 4x 13-16cms/5-6 inch gratin dishes)
- 500g/1 pound packet of potato gnocchi
- 250g/1/2 a pound button or field mushrooms, cut into pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
- 100g /3.5 ozs. butter divided into two lots of 50g/1.7ozs plus 20g/1.5 tablespoons extra to dot on top (I used truffle butter)
- 3 tablespoons plain all purpose flour
- 100ml/3.5 fl ozs. white wine
- 2 cups whole milk, warm
- 1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese plus extra for sprinkling on top
- salt and pepper (I used truffle salt)
- Chives or parsley to finish
1. Boil the gnocchi in plenty of salted water until they float to the top. Preheat the oven to 190C/380F.
2. Heat the saucepan (I just use the same cast iron pot I used to boil the gnocchi). Melt a tablespoon of butter and then saute the garlic and mushrooms on medium heat. I find it easier to keep adding butter as they cook or they tend to absorb all of the butter at once and start to stick. So add a tablespoon of butter at a time as they cook, there should be enough for 3-4 tablespoons and you will only use half of the total butter for this step. Place in a bowl and set aside.
Melting the butter
Adding the flour
Adding milk gradually
To get a creamy smooth roux sauce
3. With the second half of butter (50g/1.7ozs) make a roux sauce by melting the butter in the same saucepan and then add the flour. Using a flat bottomed wooden spoon or spatula move the flour around the avoid any lumps and cook it for 1-2 minutes until it bubbles lightly. Add the white wine and cook this for another 2-3 minutes. Then add milk gradually, in 3-4 parts combining well and stirring it and then adding the cheese. I find this easiest to do with the pot off the heat and once it is all smooth put the pot back on the heat to cook it. Add the gnocchi and mushrooms and stir to coat.
4. Ladle the mixture into the gratin dishes. Add some extra cheese on top and then top with extra butter (the 20g extra, I used truffle butter). Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. Serve with chopped fresh chives or parsley on top.
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87 Comments | Add your own
Good description “down to earth but sophisticated”:)
Nobody I know knows that I blog and I don’t know any of my ‘blogger friends’ personally. They are two distinct compartments:)
That looks incredibla scrumptious! The kind of comforting dish I need withn this autumn-like weather. I might cook that dish this weekend as I have everything on hand.
Cheers,
Rosa
Hahahah your poor husband. I can’t even imagine how strange that must have seemed to him. Soup jelly!
I love your dish Lorraine. Hearty and delicious. That truffle butter looks oh so very tempting.
Magda
Hehe so funny. You are such a nice wife preparing him dinner before you go out
Looks delicious. Haven’t had anyone ask me not to include anything on my blog so far. If it was this funny I don’t think I could resist!
Oh my that looks gooood. I’ve resisted gnocchi for some time as it just never seemed that appealing and a fuss to make but you just changed my mind ;p
You made me laugh, Lorraine… that’s exactly the kind of thing Dr Lostpast would do, eat the stock uncooked. The pasta he would go for in a nano second since he loves gooey creamy cheesy anything (and as a tall stringbean he feels no guilt about it). Great looking dish.
oh that gnocchi looks decadently divine, going to pinch that one. we go out rarely, I used to find quite often when we would go out, that i was disappointed with the food, and my husband quite often would say how my food at home was much better. One thing i have learnt over the years is to now, order what i wont cook at home, and then i am usually pleased with what comes on the plate, and its delicious!
Oh, that would have been so gross!
Oooooh – that gnocchi bake looks deeeelicious! Poor Mr NQN – it wouldn’t be often he’d find his soup looked like jelly. But did he eat the whole thing?
I have certainly had friends ask me not to put them on the blog. The time that sticks out most was friends in Iran who I had visited. I mentioned on the blog that they think there will be another revolution some time where women could legally rip off their head scarves, and they very politely asked me to take it off the blog in case the Iranian officials saw. Naturally, I did so immediately.
Looks so good…and the addition of extra cheese and truffles make it all the better
So sweet of you to leave the hubby food. Guess you can’t exactly leave him there with no food on the table.. hehe.
There are times when I do go out several times a week, but I try to only limit this on weekends (as week days I like to hit the gym after work). Because I have a holiday so soon, I’ve been wanting to stay at home more and cook. But the boy has been suprising me with dinner dates. I absolutely love it
My gosh…yum!
Jellied broth! lol
LOL – men don’t listen. My husband said I couldn’t put his picture on the blog, so I don’t do it often lol. At least you left him a fabulous meal. I’d love someone to make it for me. xoxo Mum
this looks delicious lorraine
Oh lordy, that gnocchi looks divine. What wonderful comfort food – guaranteed to stick to your ribs (and hips, too, I suspect)!
Hahaha. It gets a bit tiresome dining out most nights, I find it particularly hard in the winter months. :/
))
Never had a friend ask me not to put something on the blog. Not yet anyways.
PS:Love the gnocchi. Looks delish and warming and just so good.
Teehee…. Love that Mr NQN ate the bowl of cold jelly broth. Lol!!!
Dear, Lorraine.
In my Italian Fam…we call Gnocchi (Covedills) this was my favorite birthday meal every single birthday until I left home. All of my dad’s sisters make it. My dad calls and says, “Kim, Carol made Covs!” & I jump in my car and rush over there to devour some.
You mean to tell me that “This is your job?”
Talk about a Dream Job. And you are soooooooooooo good at it, my dear. xxxx so damn good.
ugh..cold gelatinised soup..cannot believe he even ate it..gnocchi look really good though..i prefer to invite people to my place for meals and then i get to experiment on them! jane
All my favourite ingredients – this is on the list for the weekend.
Lorraine – do you think this would freeze well?
Hi not really an answer to your questions but isn’t it amazing how specific you sometimes have to be about how to eat / reheat or cook something (especially for certain members of some households)….
Hi food tragic-this mix would freeze really well. Especially before you’ve baked it! I have frozen half of a batch and then defrosted and baked it
I am crazy about gnocchi and this looks amazing all smothered in cheese
This is the holy grail of comfort food. I NEED THIS!!!!!
I am ashamed I never thought of that! such a gorgeous photo of light and shade! Your animated description of hubby’s fridge hunts is priceless!!! thanx for all your dedication to your readers – you do not disappoint!
Looks amazing and so very naughty , I’m thinking home made gnocchi and that would be the Bomb!
Love to eat out but hubby is not so keen, he’d much rather eat what I cook for him which is rather sweet. There will be weeks where we rarely eat out and then it seems like all at once . I’ve booked us on for a lovely degustation at Cotton Duck next month but I’m always the one to organise food related outings, especially if I’m craving a break from the kitchen!
That gnocchi looks like perfection on a plate to me. I could eat that every week I’m sure.
Mr. O is so easy going that he wouldn’t be bothered about anything I wrote. He knows I wouldn’t do anything to hurt him. He does funny things sometimes
I don’t go out often enough. We work entirely too much.
Oh dear Mr NQN but that is a very male thing to do. Clearly NQN didn’t leave you good enough instructions!
I love going out but try to limit it to the weekends and the occasional mid-week dinner. This is only because when I eat out I tend to go over-board when I eat at a restaurant.
LOL! I think that definitely qualifies as a Mere Male entry!
I think I just put on half a kilo looking at your gnocchi….and I’m still swooning over your truffle treasure chest.
My daughter regularly appears in my blog and I talk about my partner but he’s like Rob the dentist on TV – I don’t show his face. Come to think of it, I haven’t showed my face yet…
Talk about the ultimate comfort food, kind of being wrapped up in a nice warm blanket- but not a daggy old doona, one of those mink fur rugs!
My hubby would have thrown the jelly to the dog, and then I would have been really mad, you have trained Mr NQN well my dear:)
I love going out to eat, but I love cooking too. We go out probably once every 10days or so for dinner, but only somewhere for just us Grown Ups every month or so. My daughters are real gourmets and would love to come, but they eat as much as us and it gets expensive, sometimes we have fun ‘sneaking out’ somewhere cool when they think we’re just shopping:)
Truffles and gnocchi are the shizzzz! Hell yeah!
Hi Lorraine. Mr NQN is blessed indeed – this looks divine! Having two young boys I tend to mostly eat at home…and this cold winter it’s cosy to cook up something fragrant and delicious. Speaking of winter food, three friends and I have started a “Soup Exchange” where we each cook up a big pot of soup and a large stew/curry/casserole, set aside three portions in take away containers, then meet for afternoon tea (this time NQN’s Easy Pear Tea Cake
and exchange recipes and soup. Each person makes 1 soup and 1 stew and ends up with 4 of each plus recipes! Fabulous! Have you or your readers tried something like this? I’d be interested to hear other stories 
That gnocchi looks great!
I haven’t had anyone ask me not to put something on my blog…yet. Though J sometimes doesn’t want me to photograph his food.
We used to dine out once every fortnight when we lived in Perth. Now that we’ve moved to Singapore, we dine out at least times a week! If I didnt enjoy cooking, I think we would be dining out more.
Hi Jaqi-I love that idea! Thank you so much for letting us know about it!
Ha ha… jelly soup for instant savoury dessert.
How long did you make soup using pressure cooker and how to make it? I used to boil bone for 2 hours but seem using pressure cooker is better? Can you post the step by step?
Hi Lilia-You just cook it for 30 minutes in the pressure cooker. It is much quicker than using a stovetop
Oh wow I think I am going to make that tonight! Heck yes. I dont have little pots but they would be fine in a bigger oven dish right?
Hi Esz-Absolutely!
I’d go for a shallower one for more melted cheese on top 
I think I’m going to be in a world of pain when my cherubs realise all their little foibles are out there for all and sundry!
sometimes they just don’t care to read or to look on our notes on the fridge lol…I eat once a week with my family and once a month with my friends. I really wanna try soup but make it sure it is not cold lol just joking =)
Haha bless him. Stud does similar things and yeah I would totally post it. Its comedy gold
This bake looks amazing! So decadent yet reasonably easy to make. He’s a lucky man your husband!
Loved the story, loved the recipe. The gnocchi looks comforting and sophisticated at the same time–kind of like the story of the jelly. A sophisticated stock and a comforting meal left for the hubby–rolled into a cute story. Well done.
This dish sounds so heavenly and comforting, and with truffles what is there not to love. I could do with some of this right now. Yum!
Lorraine, just thought I’d better inform you that i’m moving in with you
I love what you wrote about your husband, it sounds exactly like something mine would do bwahahahhahahah.
Ohh this looks magnificent! I love it!!! I usually tame mine down a bit and just pan fry mine, then cover them with homemade pasta sauce and bocconcini and parmesan… but i’m loving the super creamy roux sauce and mushrooms!! Lucky Mr NQN
Your story made me laugh so hard, I’m glad you told it. And that gnocchi looks delish – fantastic for winter. I’m heading to Italy and France in 15 days (excited much) and I plan to eat and drink lots of georgeous comfort food. Definately not a holiday in which I expect to lose weight lol:)
that looks so hearty.
i love melted cheese in winter.. thouugh regret it in summer
Hahaha, poor Mr NQN. The kids are always asking me to put things on the blog – like foods they like to eat, or fun places to go, good cafes etc. But they don’t like me posting about poos or wees or naughtiness!
Potatoes, mushrooms, and cheese – OMG! Thanks for the recipe; my kid sister’s birthday is coming up and I’m stumped as to what to fix for dinner then! Luckily, this recipe has three of her favorite things.
The gnocchi looks delicious. I’ll be making that. I eat out much more in Italy, partly because it is much less expensive to do so there and also because it is almost always delicious.
Late today – so such a lot of interesting reading! Love gnocchi and this looks scrumptious – well, perhaps Ms Cholesterol will look away for a minute!
? Just been to a very sexy cardiologist, who really would like me to adopt some . . . ! But can’t u’stand what is wrong with jellied soup? Make dozens of different kinds to be eaten as jellied in summer – the texture is delightful & the tastes evinced when the stuff melts in your mouth just beautiful?
How often would I go out: whilst still in ‘normal’ life, I guess I used to have 1-2 nights off from opera, ballet, symphony, theatre & formal dinners – these days, living ‘in the bush’ I am sadly curtailed with more friends in-rather-than-out say 2-3 times a week! Fab food/good wine/better company make up in a way!
!
Ohhh, the poor fella! That must have been quite the bowl full to get through
Gnocchi looks oh so very good.
Lord love Mr NQN! This gnocchi looks very decadent and delicious.
Some travel you say? SOME TRAVEL? I wonder what that could be? I bet you’re going to have a really boring, terrible, horrible time
PSYCH.
Also, I’ve only had gnocchi three times in my life, and even though only one of those times was it truly lovely (in Italy, go figure), I still maintain that I like it. In theory. With truffles, I’m sure “theory” wouldn’t come into it.
Travel you say?
hahaha poor mr nqn! but this gnocchi looks and sounds absolutely heavenly….
Lorraine I think you’re reading my mind! I was craving baked gnocchi after seeing it on ‘Dinner Date’. Poor MrNQN, I literally laughed out loud reading what he did!
Oh my word- eating the jellied soup made me laugh so much. The poor thing. We tend to go out one or two nights a week- (though much more if we’re travelling
)
oh my goodness, this looks absolutely delicious!! Seriously, food porn, right here! i’ve never had someone say to me to not put something on, but I always ask!
Heidi xo
Let’s say that ante children, I went out a lot more but still do girlfriend evenings once in a (long) while. I thought the jelly story was too funny. I usually keep things on my blog quite anonymous and some of my friends don’t even know yet that I even have one because I am still a little shy about it a year in. If they discover it fine, but I don’t necessarily publicize it. Also, it is sometimes hard to write honestly when you picture a crowd of known faces reading you and judging you.
Love the soup jelly story! Must’ve been very funny when you found out
I’ve been going out for dinner quite a bit lately actually, been so busy just don’t feel like cooking in the evening..not very healthy.
My friends are usually ok about blog content, but my parents have said definitely no photos of them on it. Hmm..
I Often get asked if something is going on the food blog, though usually the requests are not to photograph every meal because it’s tedious and or embaressinh.
Oh this looks divine! Definitely giving this one a try!
Awww.. AHAHAHAHAHAHAH.. that seriously made my day.. poor hubby! Hahahahahaha… gosh.. very cute
What a such good looking gnocchi. I wanted the dinner hour is already now and it is 9 am.
Poor Mr NQN’s experience made me laugh and kackle as it’s exactly what my hubby would do…I even read it to him..he didn’t say it, but he knew that would have been him
That looks so lovely, Lorraine!
Just today, my husband asked me if he could eat the skin of a nectarine or if he had to cut it off. Husbands!!! I can’t believe your hubby ate the jellied soup as is. Too funny. Ahh, what would we do without them providing us such hours of entertainment, huh?
Lorraine, I’m proud of you. You can really cook some dishes I didn’t know you could make. And, perfect for the rain and cold you are having. We are in 100′s which is hot and humid and not quite the weather for this, but in October when you are springing into lighter food, I shall return for this one. Your husband will never leave you:)
I am drooling looking at the screen especially at the truffle butter! I usually give my friends the option of if they want to be named and shamed on my blog or not
Such an indulgent, wonderful dinner! Mr NQN is VERY lucky!
I don’t usually like doing things after work during the week, but this week I’ve only been home for dinner once, which was Monday, and I miss it!
My oldest daughter Miss Coiffure asked me not to put her on my blog. When I didn’t she complained that she was the forgotten daughter because I didn’t write about her !
So now I write about her.
Lol, that is too funny! Poor Mr NQN, but I love how he had resigned himself to the fact that it would be on the blog before you told him. He truly is the hubby of a food blogger, lol!
And oh wow, does this look amazing, Lorraine. I swear it made me gasp a little in wonder when I saw that first picture!
Hahahaha…that’s hilarious about the “jelly”! I love to plop cold soup out into my pot….*plop*.
This gnocchi sounds gorgeous though…mmm…garlic butter mushrooms…
A wonderful gnocchi dish, I love the truffle butter and truffle salt additions here, excellent!
Ahhhh truffle butter. I can only imagine how good that tasted in the baked gnocchi!
I knew when I saw this recipe that I absolutely had to try it because it looked so heavenly. I made it today and it was delicious. I messed up a bit because I ended up with what looked like to me too much roux sauce. It worked out however because we had unexpected company around dinner time so I boiled up some tagiatelle & broccoli and mixed the “extra” roux sauce with it. We had the gnocchi as a side dish along with fresh cooked string beans and a salad. Everyone enjoyed it and the recipe got rave reviews. Thanks for sharing your recipe and making me look like a rock star in the kitchen.
This looks so delicious, I am definitely going to have to try it. I have lunch out about once a week, and a meal cooked by friends once a month (The Lime Farts!), but otherwise rarely eat out. Why? Because I love cooking so much, I’d rather cook and eat my own food. This weekend I made a sourdough loaf, sourdough crumpets, pistachio ice cream, pistachio macaron, red bean paste and then red bean paste filled mochi and finally, Israeli couscous with olives, lemon zest and parsley to accompany marinated chargrilled chicken breast. Who needs to eat out?!
Hi KK-Thanks so much for letting me know and I’m so glad that you liked it! Oh and I thought the same about the roux sauce at first but somehow once baked it absorbs it all
But I like what you did with it! I’m so glad that everyone liked it and you’re more than welcome Rock Star! 
I like staying home during the week. So tired after work. But I usually do have food at home for Mister if I am heading out. Love the truffle butter!!
this is comfort food at its most decadent, lorraine–awesome recipe!
I just made a low fat version of this and it’s sensational! I think I have a new favourite winter dish
Hi Phunk-YAYY I’m so glad that you liked it!
I think I agree with Mr NQN that the gnocchi sounds great but I am suspicious of any food that jells upon cooling – other than jelly and custard! Poor man – next time you need written instructions for him – ha ha!
Johanna, I did write some!
si bon
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