Dear Reader,
It’s Morel season.
Until very recently, I had had no morels in my life. Sorry, but I was dying to say that.
A few weeks ago, I bought a small packet of morels from the local, posh deli. I sauteed them in olive oil and butter with a few, sliced button mushrooms, added a bit of lemon juice, and thought they were absolutely awful. Tough, chewy, and woody, no taste.
Of course, I was convinced that either I had prepared them incorrectly, or, they were stale, old morels. I couldn’t tell.
I have a very dear friend who lives far, far away. She mentioned that she was going on a morel hunt/party with friends. So, my interest was renewed. I begged her to please tell me all that there was to know about morels. What is the secret of their allure?
Fresh Morels
Then, a day or two later, I saw fresh morels for sale, loose, in a tiny basket at the same, posh deli, I decided to try them again. After all, even though they were $49.99 per pound, five morels only cost $3.50 as they are hollow. I had seen a Mark Bittman’s recent recipe video about morels and asparagus, and was inspired to try again.
Mr Bittman uses reconstituted dried morels, but as I have stumbled upon fresh ones, that is what I am using. As I only had a few, I supplemented them with fresh baby bella mushrooms.
Baby Bella Mushrooms
Start with a good pat of butter, then I sauteed the mushrooms with some finely chopped shallots, until most of the moisture has been released and then reabsorbed.
Add a bit of water and dry white wine, about half and half. (Mr. Bittman uses the liquid from the dried morels). Once very hot, add the asparagus. Steam for about two minutes, or until tender. Asparagus cooks in the blink of an eye, so, don’t blink.
Fresh Asparagus
Add a small amount of cream. This can be any thickness you like, I used a small amount of heavy cream.
Then add a few, fresh Tarragon leaves. Not too many, as Tarragon is a strongly flavoured herb.
This dish requires a fair amount of salt and pepper.
Tasting it, without the thrill of the hunt, or the pleasure of a party, just alone, in my kitchen, I was very satisfied.
I felt that I was beginning to understood the mystery of the morel.
It was a start.
A tasty start.
M x
Lemons & Parsley 