Morels cooked with wine or sherry, cream and a dash of demi glace spooned on top of slices of toasted bread is a Classic fresh recipe for morels and a great, easy way to celebrate the first (or second, or fifth) harvest of the season.
Serves 4 as an appetizer
2tablespoonsunsalted butterplus more for the baguette
¼cupgreen garlicshallot, chopped ramps, etc
¼cupdry white wine or sherry
2tablespoonsdemi glaceoptional* see note
¼cupheavy cream
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
Sliced wild onion greens or chivesto garnish (optional)
Instructions
Cut the morels in half the long way, large mushrooms from the end of the season may be cut in into ¼’s. Swish the morels in water to clean them, then set out on paper towels to dry while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
Cut the baguette into slices, spread with soft butter and bake, griddle, or cook in a pan until golden and crisp, then reserve.
Heat the two tablespoons of butter in a non-reactive pan (stainless steel, etc) add the morels and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’ve given up their juices and the pan is nearly dry. Add the green garlic or other allium and cook for a few minutes more, then add the wine and reduce by half.
If you’re using stock instead of demi-glace, add that now and reduce by half.
Add the cream, demi glace if using, and simmer the mixture until the sauce is thickened and delicious. If you cook the mixture down a bit too much and it looks overly thick, adjust it with an extra splash of cream or stock and simmer for another minute or two until the morels look nice and saucy.
Double check the seasoning for salt, adjust as needed, then spoon the morels and all their juices into a bowl, sprinkle with the chopped wild onion greens or chives, and serve with a spoon.
Enjoy watching your friends and family crowd around the bowl spooning the mushrooms and their juice over the baguette slices.
Video
Notes
Improvising on demi-glace
If you don't want to use demi-glace here (most people don't have it around) there's a few things you can do.
Skip it and just add a splash of chicken stock, and some extra cream.
Make some really strong bone broth in a crock pot, then take a finished quart of it (unseasoned) and reduce it down to ¼ cup. It won't be demi, but it will be darn close. Add a whole ¼ cup instead of the two tablespoon of demi specified.
Skip the stock / demi entirely. Morels are fantastic all by themselves, and it will still taste great.