Blue Moon Mushroom Carbonara

NAME: _Blue Moon Mushroom Carbonara

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INGREDIENTS/UTENSILS:
500g sliced mushrooms (champignon, common button, flat, or field)
500g small gnocchi
250g (about two - three) thick cut bacon rashers
2 small-medium zucchini
1 cup thickened cream
40g-80g butter (divided)
40g-80g lard (divided)
1 small brown onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp fine grated parmesan or similar
1 chicken stock cube
pinch of raw sugar
pinch of salt (if needed)

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METHOD:
Prepare the onion by cutting in half around the middle, then cutting each half into fine wedges. Cut the rind off bacon and then slice across the grain into about 1cm wide strips. Peel and chop the garlic cloves into about 2mm cubes, the peel four strips off the zucchinis leaving a ribbon of green in between, slice these to about 1cm thickness.

Put equal dollops of butter and lard into a hot frying pan, enough to half cover mushroom slices. Put in just enough mushroom slices to loosely cover the bottom of the pan (no crowding) and allow to fry golden brown then toss to turn over, allow to brown, reduce heat and retrieve the slices with a skimmer or slotted spoon, place in a saucepan large enough to hold everything. Continue to fry mushroom slices in batches turning heat up to fr and down between batches, then reduce the heat and add enough equal quantities of butter and lard to cook the bacon and onion.

Add them to the pan, turn the heat up slightly, and wait for it to begin to sizzle, adjust heat to keep a brisk sizzle going and turn occasionally, for around six to eight minutes, then add the garlic and zucchni. Keep tossing for another six minutes or so, then reduce heat again, then lift out of the frying pan as for the mushrooms, and add to the mushrooms in the saucepan.

If the base of the pan has no more liquid fat, add a few dollops of each, increase to medium heat, and throw in the gnocchi. Toss regularly for about six minutes, then add enough water to cover the gnocchi by about 1cm or so, increase the heat to start the water boiling them reduce to a simmer.

When gnocchi are cooked through but still firm, drain in a colander and refresh with cold water, then put the gnocchi, parmesan, and crumbled stock cube in the saucepan and place over medium heat, tossing gently to combine without breaking up the gnocchi, until some sizzling is evident as you toss. Add the thickened cream and toss everything gently again one more time, turn off the heat and let stand for a minute or two before serving.

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SERVING:
Serve with Parmesan or similar, in bowls,

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NOTES:
Today is the July 2015 blue moon, and I wanted to make something off my own bat without following a set recipe. If you make this and you don't swoon, you're obviously not eating it during a blue moon! %) It really is one of the tastiest recipes for such simple ingredients I've done in ages.

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ENJOY!