Sauteed Duck Breast With Wild Mushrooms And Carrot Cauliflower Puree Food

WILD MUSHROOM AND CAULIFLOWER LASAGNA

Steps:

• Make the tomato sauce: Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon, and the basil and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth; return to the saucepan and add the parsley, honey, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste.
• Make the cauliflower Mornay sauce: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut off the cauliflower florets and put in a small roasting pan. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add 1 1/2 cups water to the pan, cover with aluminum foil and bake until very tender, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 30 seconds. Whisk in 4 cups milk, increase the heat to medium high and bring to a boil, whisking; cook, whisking, until thick, about 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower, reduce the heat to low and cook 5 more minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly, then puree until smooth. Strain into a clean saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Whisk in the nutmeg, cheese, and salt and pepper to taste and cook 1 minute. Thin with some of the remaining 1 cup milk, if needed.
• Make the lasagna: Soak the porcini mushrooms in 1 1/4 cups boiling water, 30 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook 5 minutes; drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Combine the ricotta, egg, 1/2 cup parsley, 1 teaspoon thyme and 1/2 cup romano cheese in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over high heat. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the assorted mushrooms and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the shallots and cook until golden, about 6 minutes. Drain the porcini mushrooms, reserving the liquid, then coarsely chop and add to the pan; cook 1 minute. Deglaze with the porcini soaking liquid and cook until completely reduced, about 6 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons thyme and 1/4 cup parsley and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
• To assemble the lasagna, ladle some of the tomato sauce into a 10-by-14-inch baking dish. Ladle on some of the cauliflower sauce; top with 4 noodles. Top with some of the ricotta mixture, then some of the mushroom mixture, fontina and some of the remaining romano cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat to make 3 more layers, ending with a layer of noodles, cauliflower sauce and romano. Put the dish on a baking sheet, cover with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until bubbly, 30 to 40 more minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with parsley and let sit 15 minutes before serving. Serve with the remaining tomato sauce.

WILD MUSHROOM AND CAULIFLOWER LASAGNA

Steps:

• For the tomato sauce: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until soft. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon, and the basil and cook until thickened and the tomatoes soften and break down. season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Return the mixture to the saucepan, add the basil and chopped parsley, season with salt, pepper, and honey, if needed.
• For the cauliflower sauce: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the florets from the head of cauliflower and put in a small roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add 1 1/2 cups water to the bottom of the pan, cover with foil, and cook until very tender, about 1 hour. Remove and increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in 4 cups of the milk, increase the heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Transfer the mixture to a blender (in batches) and puree until smooth. Strain the mixture into a clean saucepan through a medium mesh strainer and bring to a simmer over low heat. Whisk in the nutmeg, cheese, and salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for 1 minute. Add some of the remaining warm milk, if needed.
• For the lasagna: Increase the oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the ricotta, egg, 1/2 cup parsley, 1 teaspoon thyme, and romano cheese in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cook until they begin to soften. Add the shallots and cook until golden brown and completely dry. Drain the porcini mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid, coarsely chop, and add to the mushrooms in the pan and cook for 1 minute. Deglaze with the porcini soaking liquid and cook until completely reduced. Stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons thyme, remaining 1/4 cup parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
• To assemble: Ladle some of the tomato sauce into the bottom of a 10 by 14 by 2 1/2-inch baking dish. Ladle some of the cauliflower mornay sauce over the tomato sauce. Top with 4 noodles. Top the noodles with some of the ricotta mixture, then some mushrooms, fontina, and romano. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat to make 4 layers. Ladle the cauliflower mornay sauce over the top of the noodles, making sure to cover the noodles completely with the sauce, and sprinkle with more of the romano cheese. Put the lasagna pan on a baking sheet, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until bubbly and the top is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes longer. Remove from the oven, sprinkle the top with parsley, and let rest 15 minutes before serving. Cut into squares and serve additional tomato sauce on the side.

PAN-ROASTED DUCK WITH WILD MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Rinse dried mushrooms to remove sand or dirt and place in a bowl. Cover with boiling water and let steep for 30 minutes.
• Lay duck breasts skin-side down on a cutting board. With your fingers, remove the thin tenderloins from the underside of each breast and reserve for sauce. With a sharp knife, trim away any gristle. Turn breasts skin-side up and trim excess fat from the edges. Score the skins in a diamond pattern. Season generously with salt and pepper, transfer to a plate and leave at cool room temperature for 1 hour.
• Put olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the reserved tenderloins and brown well on both sides. Add butter and flour to pan, and cook, stirring, until mixture is lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add soaked mushrooms and soaking liquid, and stir well as sauce begins to thicken. Add wine, thyme and bay leaf, turn heat to low, and simmer gently until gravylike, but not too thick, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and discard tenderloins, thyme and bay leaf. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning. Keep warm. (Sauce may be prepared several hours or up to 2 days in advance.)
• Set a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, add duck breasts to skillet skin-side down and let sizzle. Lower heat to medium and cook for about 7 or 8 minutes, making sure skin doesn't brown too quickly. (This will render fat and crisp the skin.) Turn breasts over and cook 3 minutes more for rare (thermometer should read 120 degrees), or 4 to 5 minutes for medium-rare (thermometer should read 125 degrees). Transfer to a warm platter and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Pour off all but 2 tablespoons rendered fat from the pan, and raise heat to medium-high. Add sliced mushrooms and sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, letting them brown nicely. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat and stir in garlic and parsley.
• Slice duck 1/4-inch thick, crosswise at a slight angle, and serve immediately. Each serving should have 4 to 5 slices of duck, a large spoonful of mushrooms and a bit of sauce.

SAUTEED DUCK BREASTS WITH WILD MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Using sharp knife, score skin of duck breasts diagonally to create 3/4-inch-wide diamond pattern; pat dry. Sprinkle duck with salt and pepper. Heat heavy large skillet over high heat. Add duck breasts, skin side down. Cook until skin is deep golden brown, about 8 minutes. Turn duck over; cook about 3 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet and keep warm in oven.
• Pour all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet. Add oil. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add mushrooms and shallots and sauté until mushrooms are tender, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add wine and stir until juices thicken, scraping up browned bits, about 1 minute.
• Place 1 duck breast on each of 4 plates. Pour mushroom sauce over, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

WILD MORELS SAUTEED WITH CHICKEN BREAST

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.
• Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a saute pan heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and add chicken breasts. To avoid crowding pan, chicken should be Sauteed in batches. Saute chicken until well browned on both sides and remove. Keep the sauteed chicken warm as you saute the rest. Keep all completed chicken warm as you proceed with morels.
• To same saute pan, add remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Add morels and saute for about 3 minutes. Add shallots and cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken back to pan. Add wine, cover and simmer for 3 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Swirl in butter and serve.

SAUTEED WILD MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Brush the caps of each mushroom with a clean sponge. Remove and discard the stems. Slice the small mushrooms thickly and cut the large ones in a large dice.
• Heat the olive oil in a large (11 - inch) Dutch oven or saucepan. Add the shallots and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until the shallots are translucent. Add the butter, mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, until they are tender and begin to release their juices, stirring often. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Toss in the parsley, sprinkle with salt, and serve warm.

CREAM OF CAULIFLOWER SOUP WITH SAUTéED WILD MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Put the cauliflower, potato and onion in a large saucepan with the butter and half of the oil. Gently heat the contents until they start to sizzle, then cover with a lid and sweat over a low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The vegetables should be softened but not coloured.
• Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, then pour in the milk and return gently to a boil. This way, there will be no scum forming from the milk. Season to taste then simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Pour in half the cream.
• Blend everything in a food processor or blender, in batches. For an extra creamy texture, push the purée through a sieve with the back of a ladle. Stir in the rest of the cream. (If preparing ahead cool, cover and chill for up to a day.)
• To serve, pick over the mushrooms. Wild mushrooms can be gritty so wash them quickly in a bowl of cold water then drain well and pat dry. Trim the stalks and chop or slice the mushrooms neatly. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and, when very hot, stir fry the mushrooms quickly until nicely browned, seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper as you cook them.
• Reheat the soup until piping hot. Check for seasoning and ladle into warmed bowls. Spoon the mushrooms into the centre and sprinkle lightly with the chives. Italy's elegant, mildly citrussy whites, such as Vernaccia di San Gimignano, or a Chardonnay would suit this rich soup.