10
in other words
may18
2017
An Unusual Culinary Column: Morel Season is Here
By Karen Kain
One of my favorite things to
do in the springtime is go mushroom
hunting. There is something magical
about hiking in the forest with the sun
shining through the trees and finding
my first morel. I know that once I find
one there is a great chance that there
will be more treasures nearby. I was
lucky this year to have been gifted a
nice quantity of morels. After my morel
picking adventure I found myself at the
asparagus truck grabbing another one
of my favorite vegetables. This week I
decided to combine the two delicacies
and I think I have some nice recipes to
share with you.
I usually try to steer away from
frying foods, but this fried mushroom
recipe looked pretty tempting and when
combined with the mustard dipping sauce
it just sounded delicious. After I fried up
a bunch of morels, I had a visitor stop
by. Together we decided that this recipe
was pretty yummy and ate them all,
except one. For a long time we just left it
sitting there until we ended up splitting it
between us because it was just that good.
I definitely think the mustard dipping
sauce was the perfect addition. You
could also fry up asparagus using
this batter which would be equally
fabulous. This recipe makes a nice
appetizer for any meal.
The more I cook with morels
the more I love them. The second
recipe I tried was the Morels &
Asparagus Sauce over Pasta. This
dish is really quite simple to make
but elegant in flavor and display.
I added just a little bit of cream
and sherry, which I think gives it
a fabulous touch.
Keeping with the morel
and asparagus theme, for break-
fast the next day I made this
Morel & Asparagus Over Toast
recipe, twice. It is quite possible
that this may be my favorite reci-
pe of the week. Although it looks
complicated it is quite simple to
make. I love the ricotta along with
the sauce drizzled on top, which
reminded me of a lighter version of bé-
arnaise sauce. This breakfast is delicious
and would make the perfect brunch dish
for guests. I loved the unique combina-
tion of ingredients. Have fun with your
mushroom hunting folks.
Fried Morels
Ingredients:
1 Cup all-purpose flour
½ Teaspoon salt
1 Cup broth or dry white wine
½ Pound fresh morel mushrooms, or
other mushrooms, or both
Vegetable oil for frying
Mustard Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
½ Cup sour cream
½ Cup mayonnaise
3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon wholegrain mustard
1 Tablespoon chives, chopped
Directions:
Mix together and put into the refrigerator
for 30 minutes for the flavors to combine.
Directions:
I soaked the morels in water to clean
them for a few hours, and let dry on a
clean towel, this may take ½ a day. Make
sure that there is no water inside the
stems; once you put it in the oil it will
pop. I dried them with the stems down
so any water could drain out. Whisk to-
gether the flour and salt. Slowly whisk in
the broth until the batter is smooth, add
more broth if needed, the batter should
be a bit thicker than pancake batter. Us-
ing a dry brush or soft towel, brush away
any dirt trapped in the crevices. Line a
rimmed baking sheet with paper towels
and set a wire rack on top. Fill a heavy
skillet with about 2 inches of vegetable
oil and heat up on medium high heat
to a temperature of 350˚. Whisk the
batter again then gently add the morels
one at a time to the batter making sure
to fully coat the mushrooms. Fry in the
oil one at a time, turning frequently,
until crisp - they cook quickly. Using
thongs or a slotted spoon transfer the
morels to the wire rack to drain. Serve
once cool enough to eat with mustard
dipping sauce.
Morels & Asparagus Sauce over Pasta
Ingredients:
12 Ounces asparagus
3 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Shallot, finely chopped
1 Cup of morel mushrooms, sliced
1 Tomato, chopped
¼ Cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon cream sherry
Salt & pepper to taste
Hot pepper flakes
Cooked pasta
Directions:
Bring a large pot to boil, put the asparagus
in the water and boil for 2 minutes.
Remove and immediately submerge into
an ice water bath to stop the cooking.
Cook your pasta in the boiling water.
In a sauté pan on medium high melt the
butter, add the oil and shallots then sauté
until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add
the garlic and sauté for an additional
minute. Add the mushrooms, asparagus
and tomato and sauté. Add the cream,
sherry and salt & pepper. Let the sauce
cook down for about 8 minutes. Add the
hot pepper flakes and serve the vegetable
sauce over cooked pasta.
continued on page 11
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