And the Morel of the story is? Spring! Yes, it’s that time of year again when my favorite funny meaty mushroom starts miraculously popping up in the woods. I do love morels. I look forward to them every year and our markets are bursting right now with this cute little shroom after all the rains we’ve had.
Morels with Madeira Cream and Asparagus is a simple yet luxurious recipe that is delicious on its own or with just about any main –– roasted chicken, salmon, beef tenderloin –– these would all be tasty alongside. But, honestly, it’s great just as a vegetarian main too. Morels are so meaty, I love making them the star of the show.
Fat juicy asparagus is one of my favorite veggies, especially in Springtime. To prepare: snap off the woody ends, trim up the edges, peel the bottom third of the stalk (it can be tough and fibrous) and blanch in salted boiling water for 3 minutes until bright green and tender-crisp.
If you want to get really 3-MIchelin Stars about it, you can also take a pairing knife and carefully remove all the little bitter tasting triangles remaining on the stalk (below the tip). That’s what we used to for every single asparagus stalk when I cooked at Guy Savoy. I’m not sure I really feel that it’s necessary but, if you want an exercise in patience, by all means give it a go!
When sourcing morels look for firm specimens that are not buggy, mushy or dirty. I trim just a little bit of the ends off and prefer to keep them whole while cooking. Morels are expensive! At the time of writing this post they are $34 per pound which is a little less than last year, but still not cheap. The main reason for the high price is their rarity. They only grow from March through May and they are impossible to farm. So choose wisely when buying!
The Madeira mushroom sauce is seriously drinkable –– it’s really that good. So be sure to serve some baguette alongside to mop up all the last drops. Something about morels, cream, thyme and Madeira combined just makes a really decadent and luxurious combination. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- MOREL MADEIRA SAUCE
- 1lb fresh Morel Mushrooms
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves,
- 1/2 cup Madeira
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper
- Squeeze of Meyer Lemon for a little extra acidity
- ASPARAGUS
- 2 bunches jumbo asparagus, trimmed, bottom 1/3 peeled
Morels with Madeira Cream:
Trim morel ends and brush off any dirt, Heat one tablespoon of olive oil and one tablespoon of butter in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and sweat for one minute until translucent. Add the morels and sauté with the shallots. Season with salt and pepper. After two minutes, turn the heat up to medium-high and add the Madeira. Once it cooks off by half, add the stock and reduce both once again by half. Sprinkle the thyme leaves over. Add the cream and reduce until the sauce has the consistency of heavy oil. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Note: I find that Madeira cooks off quickly. Sometimes I add an extra splash towards the end of the cream reduction just to pick up the flavor again.
Asparagus: To prepare, snap off the woody ends and lightly peel the bottom third of the stalk that is fibrous. Blanch the asparagus until tender crisp in boiling salted water for 3 minutes, until bright green and tender-crisp. Drain water and served 'naked' with morels in Madeira cream sauce spooned generously over top. Squeeze (lightly) a little Meyer lemon over all just to add a bit of extra brightness and acidity.
Enjoy!
