Gnocchi Beef Stroganoff Spiced with Cinnamon and Clove

For the cinnamon clove beef Stroganoff:

1. Cutting against the grain, cut the beef into thin strips, trimming off excess fat as you go.
2. Pat the beef dry using paper towels, then season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a Dutch oven or a cast iron pan to which you have a lid. Brown the meat on all sides. Do this step in batches (adding more oil as needed) so you don’t overcrowd the pan or pot. Sear the meat well but watch out not to burn it.
4. Transfer the meat and accumulated juices to a bowl and set aside.
5. Add more oil to the pot or pan if needed, then add onion, mushrooms and cinnamon. Saute for 5 minutes.
6. Add broth, red wine, cloves and beef (with accumulated juices). Bring to a boil, then put on the lid, turn the heat down and simmer for 45 minutes. (At the start of the 45 minutes, get the potatoes for the gnocchi in the oven (see instructions below.))
7. After the 45 minutes, turn the heat off and let cool a bit while you make the roux:
8. To make the roux, melt the butter in a small saucepan.
9. Add the flour to the butter and whisk until well combined.
10. Add the cream and whisk until well combined with no clumps.
11. Add the roux to the Stroganoff and stir well.
12. Bring the Stroganoff back to a boil and simmer, stirring continuously, until saucy.
13. Turn the heat off and let the stew cool a little.
14. Take out the cloves. (You need to search for them with a spoon but they are fairly easy to find in the light colored sauce.) PLEASE DON'T FORGET THIS STEP! Cloves can become a choking hazard if left in a dish.
15. Stir in the sour cream.

For the gnocchi:

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Poke a few holes into the raw potatoes with a fork or a knife. (Watch your fingers while you are doing that.)
3. Bake the potatoes until a knife goes through easily (1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes).
4. Peel the potatoes and put them through a potato ricer into a bowl.** Let the riced potatoes cool for a few minutes.
5. Add egg, flour, salt, nutmeg and pepper to the potatoes. Distribute evenly by stirring them around with a fork.
6. Carefully knead the ingredients by hand just enough to let them come together into a ball.
7. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 pieces.
8. Roll each piece into a ½-inch-thick rope.
9. Cut the rope into 1-inch-long gnocchi.
10. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
11. Add half of the gnocchi and cook until they float to the surface (1 to 2 minutes).
12. Transfer the gnocchi into a bowl using a slotted spoon and cook the remaining half in the same fashion.
13. Serve the gnocchi with the Stroganoff and garnish with finely chopped fresh parsley (optional).