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Fresh Morels


Susan in FL

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I've ordered some fresh morels, the first time. Any suggestions of how to use them in cooking a special dinner? I also have some fine veal chops, venison chops, and duck breasts coming along with them, and I have some truffle butter on hand. :wub: Wine recommendation? All ideas welcomed . . . If I don't use ideas this time, there will be a next time I'm sure.

Life is short; eat the cheese course first.

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If you have fresh morels just remember less is more. Keep it simple and let the flavors and aromas of the mushrooms come out and stand by themselves. When I use morels i try to feature them in a dish and create things around it to complement them. It is a true sign of spring and they are a great treasure to have when they are in season.

As far as the wine goes think Dirt. I would pair with a really earth Syrah or maybe a Chateauneuf du Pape. I consulted the Sommelier on this but it would have been my personnel choice also.

Hope you enjoy the Morel. I want to come over for dinner.

It is easier to change a menu than a growing season.

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Consider a savory custard ringed with morels and other fresh mushrooms (chantarelles, perhaps?) and spring vegetables, like asparagus, sauced in a light wine-butter emulsion. I would imagine a riesling would work very well with this (but then, I think riesling goes well with just about anything). I'd avoid truffles with this: too much of a good thing.

Bob Libkind aka "rlibkind"

Robert's Market Report

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Yum, indeed!

Thanks for the suggestions so far and advice like remembering that less is more. Though I've never had them, I think creamy when I imagine what to cook. A savory custard sounds good. I've search recipes a bit, and have seen asparagus used with morels in several of them.

The words Chateauneuf du Pape were music to my ears. We love big earthy wines, and have been thinking it's time to create an occasion to buy a good bottle of it. It may happen this weekend and if not, very soon afterwards.

Other ideas I've wondered about are risotto, pasta, or what would be the perfect meat for a morel cream sauce. Maybe the venison chops!

Life is short; eat the cheese course first.

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Probably the first thing that you want to do with the morels is make sure that they are clean. With all their little crevices, they can easily hold dirt and make the whole eating experience nasty. Some advocate simply brushy (which is good for the large stuff), but filling a bowl with lukewarm water and giving them a brief dunk is ideal. Let them sit out on a paper towel lined plate for an hour or so to dry off. In terms of cooking, I agree, less is more, saute in a bit of butter and finish with a bit of minced shallots and a touch of cream to coat. A sprinkle of parsley and sea salt at the end and you will have all you need. Remember that morels have an asseritive and earthy flavor on their own, and to complement that with a bit of allium and fat is fine.

Hope it goes well.

Wild Guy

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Add a little salt to that water, and you'll be sure to draw everyone out!

My recommendation is even more simple than what you've heard so far, but the best way I know of to enjoy morels.

Saute in butter, serve over toast. Yum. The toast adds a bit of crunch, and the morels add all the flavor one could ever want.

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Sauteeing in butter and serving on toast sounds really, really good. I won't be using them all in one meal, so that could easily be another way to enjoy them. And SMW, when you say add a little salt to the water, to draw everyone out, do you mean cleaning them in salted water will help get any bugs or grit out?

And sparrowgrass, why soak in hot water? I would think it would be better to wash them in cold or room temp water... But maybe I'm missing a point here.

The Russian banana fingerling potatoes sounds like a good idea, but those that I buy around here are most of the time dry... don't know what's up with that, but I'm always disappointed in the fingerling potatoes that I purchase here. Maybe it's that they are not fresh. But the potato idea is a good one.

Mmmm, I will report back!

Life is short; eat the cheese course first.

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These were part of the morels after washing and standing to dry, and before cooking dinner:

gallery_13038_2499_105422.jpg

We used about a third of them for dinner last night, had some in scrambled eggs this morning, and are probably going to have a pasta with morels tonight. Here they were after cooking dinner:

gallery_13038_2499_166150.jpg

Life is short; eat the cheese course first.

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Sorry for the belated reply - yes I think that a little salt in the water will kill anything that is in the mushrooms, even if it were something hard to see, which is a good thing! It's also nice to know that while you are cleaning them nothing is likely to be crawling around!

Your dinner looks tasty - I love veal chops, and that's a nice delicate pairing for the morels.

My DH is out foraging again today! I hope he finds some! (Although he paid quite the price for the last ones - he ended up with poisen ivy on his face, even in his mouth!)

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Thank you. No problem with the belated reply. It wasn't difficult getting them clean, and any critters were not visable to my eyes, so I wasn't concerned. :smile:

Life is short; eat the cheese course first.

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If you have any left saute with butter, slip in some cream and touch of hennessey and a few tarrogon leave and a little S&P over rare steak.

**************************************************

Ah, it's been way too long since I did a butt. - Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"

--------------------

One summers evening drunk to hell, I sat there nearly lifeless…Warren

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Last but not least, we enjoyed a creamy pasta with the remaining morels last night. I'm looking forward to more, for some of the ideas I didn't get to try. Thanks for all the suggestions and tips!

gallery_13038_2499_150282.jpg

Life is short; eat the cheese course first.

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Consider a savory custard ringed with morels and other fresh mushrooms (chantarelles, perhaps?) and spring vegetables, like asparagus, sauced in a light wine-butter emulsion. I would imagine a riesling would work very well with this (but then, I think riesling goes well with just about anything). I'd avoid truffles with this: too much of a good thing.

i make my morel sauce with rieslilng...must say the recipe was given to me by a fantastic UK chef. butter, shallots, morels, stock, riesling....sieve, cream and a touch of cayenne. served with veal or rabbit it is something else.

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i make my morel sauce with rieslilng...must say the recipe was given to me by a fantastic UK chef.[...]

Does that chef have a name? :smile:

Michael aka "Pan"

 

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