Persillade Of Wild Mushrooms With Walnut Oil Food

WILD MUSHROOM FRICASSEE OVER POLENTA

Steps:

• Bring 3 cups chicken broth to a boil in a covered pot. While the broth is coming to a boil, start fricassee. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and butter. When butter melts into oil, add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, 10 minutes or until mushrooms are all dark and tender. Add vinegar to the pan and stir to coat. The vinegar will cook away in about 1 minute. Add stock to the pan and scallions. Toss to combine.
• Stir quick cooking polenta into boiling chicken stock until it masses. Stir in butter and cheese and season with salt and pepper, to your taste.
• Serve polenta topped with mushroom fricassee along side sage veal chops or other entree selection.

POTATOES PERSILLADE

Steps:

• Using a chef's knife, trim the unpeeled potatoes into rectangular blocks. Cut each into 1/4-inch thick slices. Stack two or more slices together and cut into 1/4-inch julienne strips. Cut these strips into 1/4-inch dice and place in a saucepan, covered with cold water, until ready to cook.
• Place the potatoes in cold water, bring to a boil, then immediately take off the heat and drain. Allow the potatoes to air dry. Meanwhile, prepare the persillade by mixing together the garlic and parsley. It is possible to prepare the dish ahead to this point.
• If the potatoes aren't thoroughly dry, blot them with towels. Heat the oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add the potatoes and cook, tossing occasionally, until they brown lightly, 6 to 8 minutes. You may drain and discard oil at this point, if desired. Add the butter and continue sauteing for another 5 minutes or longer to brown the potatoes completely. Just before serving, toss the potatoes with the garlic and parsley over medium heat for about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

PASTA WITH WILD MUSHROOM PERSILLADE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet; add in garlic and shallots; cook over med-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add in mushrooms; cook, stirring often, until tender and colored, 10 minutes.
• Add in salt and pepper to taste.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in a big pot of salted water, until al dente.
• Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
• Add pasta with Parmesan cheese and parsley to the hot mushrooms.
• Toss well to coat, adding reserved water as needed.
• Serve immediately with additional Parmesan.

PAPPARDELLE WITH MIXED WILD MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Brush off any dirt from the mushrooms and slice thinly (any girolles, chanterelles and blewits - tear in half).
• Put the olive oil in a very hot frying pan and add the mushrooms.
• Let them fry fast, tossing once or twice.
• Add the garlic and chilli with a pinch of salt (it is very important to season mushrooms lightly, as a little really brings out the flavor)and continue to fry quickly another 4 to 5 minutes, tossing regularly.
• Then turn the heat off and squeeze in the lemon juice.
• Toss and season to taste.
• Meanwhile cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente.
• Add to the mushrooms, with the Parmesan, parsley and butter.
• Toss gently, coating the pasta with the mushrooms and their flavor.
• Serve, scraping out all of the last bits of mushroom love from the pan, and sprinkle with a little extra parsley and Parmesan.

WILD MUSHROOM TART WITH WALNUT CREAM

Steps:

• Make the pastry one day in advance by placing the flour and pinch of salt in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Sift by turning on and off once. Scatter the butter over the flour. Turn machine four or five times, or until the mixture resembles coarse oatmeal. Sprinkle with two and one-half tablespoons of ice water and turn the machine on and off twice. Dump onto a work surface covered with a sheet of waxed paper. The dough should not be too crumbly; if it is, sprinkle with droplets of cold water - just enough to mass the dough together; don't let it get at all damp. Wrap tightly and chill overnight.
• Place the dough between sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap and roll out to make a large rectangle. Lift off the top sheet and fold the pastry dough into thirds. Turn the dough one-quarter and repeat rolling and folding once. Chill the dough for 20 minutes, then cut into eight equal-sized pieces. Roll out each portion to a paper-thin round and fit into mold or flan ring. Keep chilled until ready to bake. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough.
• Trim cepes' stems and wipe caps with a damp paper towel. Blanch for five minutes in salted boiling water; drain and press dry between paper toweling. Place the egg, prosciutto, bread, walnuts and shallots in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with metal blade and grind to a smooth paste, scraping down the insides of the work bowl from time to time. Scrape into a wide soup bowl, cover and refrigerate for three-quarters of an hour. Using a dinner fork, gradually work in small amounts of the cold cream into the walnut mixture. Each portion of cream must be blended in before the next is added. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread an even, thin layer of the walnut mixture on the dough. Cut the cepes vertically into very thin slices; fan the slices slightly and place on top of the cream. Brush the surface with a little melted butter mixed with crushed garlic, salt and pepper. Bake on the middle oven shelf for 30 minutes. If using tartlet molds, cool on a wire rack for five minutes before turning out. Sprinkle the mushrooms with a few drops of walnut oil. Serve with a strong sweet chilled wine, such as Sherry.