Morels in Cream Sauce

[rlibkind]

Morels in Cream Sauce

Serves 1 as Main Dishor 2 as Appetizer.

Serve this over your favorite pasta (I think it works better with vermicelli or linguine rather than thicker ones such as penne). It also works over toast points. A good, crispy Riesling pairs wonderfully with a cream sauce. I enjoyed a Hermann Wiemer 2007 Dry Riesling (Finger Lakes) with this sauce over vermicelli.

It's not a cheap dish to make, since fresh morels for a single serving will set you back $10 or more per person. You can trim the costs by cutting back on morels and adding other mushrooms, fresh or dried. If dried, use the strained reconstituting liquid to provide a flavor boost. (You might be tempted to add some grated cheese to the cream sauce as it finishes; I restrained myself because I think it interferes with the morels' flavor. A little bit of thyme, salt and pepper are all the sauce needs.)

• 3 oz Morels, fresh
  
• 4 fl oz heavy cream
  
• 2 oz Vermicelli, linguine, etc.
  
• 1 shallot, minced
  
• 2 T sweet butter
  
• 1 tsp Dried thyme (one sprig if fresh)
  

Halve the fresh morels lengthwise and soak in some well-salted cold water for a couple of hours, then remove to paper towels to let them air dry. The soaking helps rid the morels of any tiny litter critters that might linger.

(Depending on how quickly your pasta cooks, you might want to start it now. Thinner pastas, such as vermicelli, can wait to be added to boiling water until when cream is added to pan.)

Sweat the minced shallot in butter over medium-low head, then add the morels to sauté over medium-high heat. After four or five minutes, when morels are just starting to brown, remove morels, which tend to discolor cream when cooked together, and set aside.

To the pan add heavy cream with thyme and reduce over medium-low heat by half, adding salt and pepper to taste toward the end. Return the morels to the pan to reheat (removing thyme if used in sprig form), then add cooked, drained pasta to pan and toss.

Keywords: Main Dish, Vegetarian, Appetizer, Easy, Pasta, Lunch, Dinner, Vegetables

( RG2124 )