What to do with morel mushrooms?
I have about 3 oz of morel mushrooms just waiting to be turned into something delicious, but the question is - what? I'm looking for a few good vegetarian dishes (eggs, dairy are ok) that feature morels.
Any suggestions?
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
Start Talking!
Need a question answered? Have advice to share? Start a Talk topic now!
Sign up to get your questions answered and share advice.
6 Comments:
Oh my God! Did you find 'em, or buy them (and if so, where)? Morels have held a magical quality for me since I was a kid and I used to hunt for them with my dad. Just fry 'em up in a little butter and you'll be doing them as much justice as is humanly possible. Enjoy.
Chaoss at 1:33PM on 09/14/07
I bought them at Whole Foods in Westchester, NY. They have a ton of morels there, but at $60/lb I thought 3 oz was enough! Chaoss, that's very cool that you used to hunt morels with your dad.
BakingAndBooks at 1:54PM on 09/14/07
Yeah, it brings back great and very sensory-filled images. Funny thing? Of all the times we went, we only found them once. But every time I walk through or near anywhere even remotely woodsy, I look for them. Every time.
Chaoss at 9:36PM on 09/14/07
pizza with green peppers and fake pepperoni, YUM!!!
watchforbears at 1:11PM on 09/15/07
Ok I have an amazing vegetarian recipe for morels (although you need an ounce of dried morels in addition to the fresh ones for the sauce). It's Pasta with Morels and Asparagus in a Carrot Butter Sauce (its not nearly as heavy as that sounds). The sauce is slightly sweet and so savory and the dried morels in the sauce brings the whole dish together. Like Chaoss said, you should do anything more to the fresh morels when cooking them than saute them in butter/olive oil, but serving them with this dish is totally worth it. Oh and serve it with a slightly chilled earthy Oregon/New Zealand pinot noir, when I did that it may have been the best food and wine pairing I have ever had outside of a restaurant.
Pasta with Morels and Asparagus with Carrot Butter:
Ingredients:
1 oz. Dried Morels
1 12 oz. can carrot juice
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 tsp. fresh sage, finely chopped, or 1/4 tsp. dried
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 cup butter, cut into 8 pieces
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
8 oz. asparagus
1-2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
8 oz. morels, sliced length wise
8 oz. penne or gemelli, cooked
Directions:
For Carrot Butter
1. In a food processor or blender process dried morels until they're a fine powder.
2. In a medium saucepan heat juice, shallots, sage, allspice, and ground morels to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer rapidly, uncovered, until mixture is reduced to 3/4 cup.
3. Whisk in butter, a tablespoon at a time; remove from heat.
4. Whisk in vinegar; season to taste with salt and pepper.
For Pasta
1. First cut asparagus into 3-inch lengths. In a medium skillet sauté asparagus in oil until just softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add morels; sauté until tender, 5 minutes
3. Toss pasta with carrot butter; spoon onto serving plates. Top each with morels and asparagus; toss slightly.
Makes 4 servings.
chasgoose at 1:37PM on 09/15/07
If you only have 3 oz, I think they'll be best savored as a rich sauce on top of poached eggs. I do this in the spring when I can find morels in the market, and it's perfect for those cool fall days too.
Brown a good chunk of butter and saute the mushrooms in it with a bit of salt. When the moisture has evaporated, deglaze the pan with some cognac or madiera., say 1Tbsp. It's best to do this with the flame off, as the alcoholic vapor will ignite, but only for a few seconds. Once you've done that, enrich the mixture with some heavy cream or whole milk to make a thick sauce. I tend to add a bit of fresh thyme at this point, stir it in and reheat my poached eggs. Toast up some crusty baguette and it's the perfect meal - Escoffier would be proud!
I also think Chasgoose's suggestion of adding asparagus is a good idea, though I usually just go with eggs and morels by themselves.
brk212 at 9:55AM on 09/17/07