" I request you, generous reader, to deliver any and all morels you find to my doorstep. Then, while I am savoring the superb flavor of croutes aux morilles a la normande, you can bask in the altruistic satisfaction that comes from contributing to science"
That quote, and the inspiration for this recipe came from reading in one of my favorite books: Mushrooms Demystified, by David Arora. It's one of the most decadent morel recipes I've ever made.
Morels A la Normande
Technically speaking, we could call a dish "A la Normande" if it used some of the following ingredients that celebrate Normandy:
- A protein (such as fish) served with sauce normande and garnished with shellfish or truffle
- Something cooked in cream
- Cooked with cream and cider, which Normandy is also famous for
Legendary french chefs Escoffier and Paul Bocuse give recipes for normandy sauce including cream, a reduction of stock, and then a thickening liason involving egg yolks. It would make a wonderful sauce, no doubt.
The actuality of someone attempting and succeeding such a sauce at home without years of professional kitchen experience making putsy and temperamental sauces, is near impossible. For all intensive purposes, you can get a similar result at home that is infinitely easier to work with by simply using cream.
You don't have to use the truffles here, but they are an amazing addition, you could substitute a teaspoon of canned truffles instead, or use a teaspoon or so of truffle oil to get a similar effect.
Morels "A la Normande" with Black Spring Truffle
Equipment
- 1 10 inch saute pan
Ingredients
- 4 slices toast crusts removed and cut into circles with a ring mold or glass
- Soft unsalted butter as needed
- 4 oz fresh morels or 1 ounce dried
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 1 cup cream
- Fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ¼ inch diced shallot
- Fresh chives sliced
- Fresh black truffle shaved, about ¼ ounce (Optional)
Instructions
- Clean your morels by dipping them quickly into a sink of cold water to remove any and all grit. Allow them to dry for ten minutes or so on paper towels before cooking. If they are very dirty, cut them in half and wash.
- Spread each piece of toast with soft butter, then cook in a pan until golden.
- Saute the shallot in a teaspoon of butter in a saute pan until the shallot is golden in color and lightly colored, but not burnt.
- Add the morels to the pan, reduce the heat, and cook until their water starts to come out, season the morels with a pinch of salt. When the morels have given up their juice, add the cream. Continue cooking the morel sauce on medium low heat until it is nice and thick (about 5 min) and coats the back of a spoon, then check the seasoning for salt. Lastly, squeeze in 2 teaspoon of lemon juice, swirling the pan to incorporate quickly.
- Place a piece of toast on each of 4 small plates, top each with 2 tablespoon of morels and sauce, garnish with the truffles and chives, then serve.
Patricia
Fantastic! Straightforward creamy very tasty. Thank you!