Morels in Cream Sauce

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Courtesy of Jason Cortlund, of Now, Forager

As soon as I get home from a successful morel hunt, this is the first thing I make. Serve it with fresh pasta, roast chicken, broiled halibut, venison steaks or a bone-in rib eye. If I'm in a place where ramps (wild leeks) are growing, I'll swap out the shallot for those.

Note: Fresh morels should be cooked at least 8 to 10 minutes. These fungi species naturally contain hydrazine compounds (similar to those in jet fuel) that can make you very sick if consumed raw. These compounds evaporate during the cooking process—so as tempting as it might be, don’t inhale the vapors—and always use your stove’s vent hood.

(0 Reviews)

Super easy

Ingredients

For 2 Person(s)

Cream

2 cups fresh morels, sliced (If you only have dried morels, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes and blot dry on paper towels. Reserve the soaking liquid for broth.)
3 tablespoons butter
1 Salt, to taste
1 large shallot, minced
1/2 cups Madeira wine (or Marsala, dry sherry, brandy or broth)
1 cups (or more) heavy cream
Fresh thyme
Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Morels in Cream Sauce Directions

Clean and slice the morels (I do mine crossways, so they form little rings).
Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and melt until foamy.
Add the morels in an even layer. When they are fully brown on one side, about 3 minutes, add the salt, stir and continue browning. When the morels begin to turn golden all over, add the minced shallot. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the shallot softens and starts to turn translucent.
Deglaze the pan with the Madeira (or some other tasty liquid) and continue cooking until it’s mostly evaporated. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the cream (more cream for saucing fresh pastas, and a bit less for serving with meats and fish). Stir and reduce until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Season to taste with fresh thyme, ground pepper and more salt if necessary.