Fettuccine With Morels Food

FETTUCCINE WITH MORELS

Steps:

• Bring six to eight quarts of water to boil for the fettuccine.
• Scoop the dry morels up from their soaking liquid and squeeze them, letting them drain back into the bowl. Strain the soaking liquid through several layers of cheesecloth. Rinse the morels under running water and slice them.
• Prepare the fresh morels. Rinse them quickly under running water and dry them with paper towels. Slice the tops and stems.
• Soften the shallots in the butter in a skillet. Add the morels and the dried morels with their soaking liquid with the chicken stock and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cream and reduce until thickened enough to coat a spoon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Cook the fettuccine in the boiling water until al dente. Drain and combine in a heated bowl with the morels and the parsley. Toss immediately and serve, passing the Parmesan cheese separately.

CREAMY MOREL MUSHROOM SAUCE

Steps:

• Soak the dried morel mushrooms in the red wine just long enough to rehydrate them, about 20-30 minutes is usually sufficient. (I use a plastic container with a lid for this step. That way, I can tilt the container occasionally or shake it around a bit, to be sure all the mushrooms are adequately rehydrating.).
• After the mushrooms are rehydrated, place them in a colander and rinse with cool water to remove any grit from the mushrooms. Leave the colander in the sink to allow the excess water to drain from the colander.
• Finely mince the rehydrated mushrooms; set aside.
• In a large skillet, saute the minced shallots in butter just until they are clear, about 3-4 minutes. Add the minced mushrooms and beef base, and stir well. While stirring, add the cream and pepper, continuing to stir constantly until the sauce is thickened.
• Spoon the sauce over grilled steaks (especially New York or Sirloin), veal, lamb, grilled chicken breasts, or pasta.
• NOTE: For the wine, it doesn't really matter what kind of red wine you use. The wine is just to rehydrate the mushrooms, not to really flavor the sauce. So feel free to use whatever red wine you have on hand. I have used a lot of different red wines for this sauce, and they all seem to work just fine. But I probably use merlot and cabernet the most. But if a different variety of red wine is your favorite, then by all means use it. That way, if you use a wine you actually enjoy drinking, then it's more likely you'll enjoy using it in this recipe.

MORELS WITH MADEIRA AND FETTUCCINE

Steps:

• To clean morels: Cut off tough bottom of stem. Wash in 3 soaks of cold water. To first soak add 2 tablespoons salt and remove any wildlife that is drawn out.
• Clean morels according to note. In a saute pan over medium heat, heat butter, and add morels. Saute morels for about 3 minutes. Add shallots and cook for 2 minutes. Add Madeira and simmer until Madeira is reduced by half.
• Add 1/2 cup of hot chicken stock and cook for 3 minutes. Reserve additional stock. Add additional stock as needed to achieve desired thickness of sauce.
• Cook fresh pasta according to package instructions.
• Add cream to morels and simmer, but do not boil. Place pasta in large serving bowl. Add sage and ham to morels and cook for 30 seconds. Pour sauce over pasta and toss.

FETTUCCINE WITH MORELS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain. Toss with the morel gratin and the parsley. Season with the salt and pepper. Divide among 4 plates and serve immediately.

CHICKEN WITH MORELS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Lift the morels carefully from the hot water in order to leave any grit behind in the liquid. Rinse a few times to be sure all the grittiness is gone. Discard the liquid and dry the morels lightly with paper towels. Set aside.
• Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Dredge them in flour and shake off the excess. Heat half the clarified butter in a large saute pan and cook the chicken in 2 batches over medium-low heat until browned on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to an ovenproof casserole.
• Add the rest of the clarified butter to the pan along with the shallots, drained morels, and garlic. Saute over medium heat for 2 minutes, tossing and stirring constantly. Pour the Madeira into the pan and reduce the liquid by half over high heat, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the creme fraiche, cream, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and 3¿4 teaspoon pepper. Boil until the mixture starts to thicken, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour the sauce over the chicken and bake for 12 minutes, or until the chicken is heated through. To make ahead, refrigerate the chicken and sauce in the casserole and reheat slowly on top of the stove.

FETTUCCINE WITH MOREL MUSHROOMS AND SAGE CREAM

Steps:

• Bring 2 cups water to boil in heavy small saucepan; add mushrooms. Remove pan from heat. Let stand until mushrooms soften, about 15 minutes. Drain mushrooms, reserving soaking liquid.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain pasta.
• Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until just softened, about 5 minutes. Add wine and cook 1 minute. Pour in mushroom liquid, leaving any sediment behind. Add mushrooms, cream, and sage. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 7 minutes. Add pasta and toss to coat with sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to plates and serve.

FETTUCCINE WITH MORELS

Steps:

• Combine 1 1/3 cup cream, butter, brandy, and morels in a saute pan big enough to accommodate the cooked pasta.
• Heat over low heat until the butter is melted and the cream comes to a bare simmer.
• Cover and cook at a bare simmer for 2 minutes to combine flavors.
• Turn off heat and set aside.
• Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a big pot; add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta to the boiling water.
• Cook until almost al dente; drain the pasta and add it to the saute pan.
• Add the remaining 1/3 cup cream, cheese, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste.
• Cook over very low heat, tossing to combine ingredients until the sauce is slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes.
• Divide among 4 warmed pasta bowls and serve immediately.

FETTUCCINE WITH MORELS, ASPARAGUS, AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• In a heavy skillet cook the shallot in the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until it is softened, add the wine, and simmer the mixture until the wine is reduced by half. Add the broth and the morels, sliced crosswise, and simmer the mixture, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the morels are tender. Add the cream and the goat cheese and cook the mixture over low heat, stirring, until the cheese is melted. Stir in the asparagus, the chives, and salt and pepper to taste and keep the sauce warm. In a kettle of boiling salted water cook the fettuccine until it is al dente, drain it well, and in a bowl toss the pasta with the sauce.