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Food Arts |
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 Drying Morel Mushrooms...'Tis the Season!
It's Morel Mushroom season in many parts of the country and while I try to enjoy as many as I can while they are fresh...Oops! let me interject, do not eat morel mushrooms fresh, they must be cooked! OK, back to my thought, I like to enjoy the fresh morels for as long as I can and as many as I can, but when the time comes and the inventory and local supply is running low, I like to dry as many as I can get my hands on. If you can't find them locally, a Google search for them will hook you up with plenty of online suppliers. They are usually available in 5-7 lb. containers. I saw a price of $10 a pound this week.
Drying them is easy, but I do recommend using a good dehydrator, drying in an oven is not the best method. Use a very low heat setting, around 115 degrees and let them dry for 12 - 24 hours depending on size. That brings up another question...should you cut them in half or in rings before you dry them? That depends on how you intend to use them once they are dried. If you are going to use them for soups and for flavoring dishes, then yes would be the answer. And many say that it is a wise idea as it allows you to clean them better, removing the possibility of bugs and obviously dirt. If you want them for whole presentations like stuffing or stir-fry, clean them well with a mushroom brush and dry them whole. Put like size mushrooms on separate trays in your dehydrator for even drying. Do not rinse your morels before drying!
Make sure you place them on the trays with plenty of space between them and I recommend drying them in the garage or basement if possible. I've heard of people having allergic reactions to the drying process of mushrooms, although I love the earthy smell that fills my house. Move the trays or turn them around a few times during the drying process in case your dehydrator has hot spots. When done they will be very dry and almost brittle to the touch. They are quite durable once dried. I store mine in zip lock style bags and date them, even though they are good for a couple years if properly dried and stored. Broken pieces or pieces that were trimmed of soft spots can be ground in to powder for flavoring or dusting a nice veal medallion...mmmm! Here is a favorite soup recipe of mine using dried morels. I've never had a complaint! Yet!
Dave’s Cream of Morel Mushroom Soup
Serves 6
Morels are known for their earthy flavor. This rich New England style soup is just slightly sweetened with sherry to round out those earth tones.
Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 1/2 ounces morel mushrooms, dried
4 ounces butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup light cream
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon sweet basil
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon tarragon
3 tablespoons sherry
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco
Procedure:
Bring the water to a near boil and add the dried mushrooms. Remove from heat and allow to soak for 2 hours. After soaking, remove the mushrooms from the liquid. RESERVE THE LIQUID.
Cut the mushrooms into pieces the size of your thumb nail, provided you don't wear those long fake ones, and set aside. Strain the liquid through a clean paper towel to remove any particles from the mushrooms and set it aside .
In a 2 quart pot make a roux by melting the butter and adding the flour to it. Stir the roux, while cooking for about 5 minutes until the roux has become lightly browned and has a nutty aroma.
At this point add the mushroom liquid, stock, and cream and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to remove any lumps.
Add the seasonings and the sherry wine to the soup and simmer for 10 minutes. The soup should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If your soup is too thick just add a little more stock.
Add the Tabasco and the cut mushrooms. Stir in until blended. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley or chives. Serve only to those who deserve it !!
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Recipe Club: Traditional Canadian Recipes from a Personal Chef
Date: June 7 - 11, 2004
Guest Host: Personal Chef Terry Henderson
Theme: Traditional Canadian Recipes from a Personal Chef - Monday: Soupe Aux Pois (Pea Soup), with Salted Herbs, Maple Baked Chicken Breasts, Buttered Fried Parsnips.
- Tuesday: Canadian Tourtiere, Pumpkin Potatoes, Garlic Flavoured Fiddleheads.
- Wednesday: Quebec Poached Salmon with Sauce Verte, Wild Rice With Mushrooms, Butter Tarts.
- Thursday: Whitney Pot Roast, Asparagus Scalloped Potatoes, Light Creamed Onions.
- Friday: Windsor Canadian Goose, Warm Ontario Cabbage, Baked Cranberry Apples.
It's a pleasure to host the Chef2Chef.net Recipe Club once again. I wanted to give you a twist on Personal Chef recipes this week, so I have come up with a week’s worth of meals based on classic Canadian recipes. These recipes come from all over Canada, many of them from internet research into Canadian cuisine, some appear on my regular menu, but mostly these are dishes I have adapted to suit my cooking style as a Personal Chef.
Chef Terry Henderson, Canadian Personal Chef Alliance Not a Member Yet?
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Pork Wraps with Plum Sauce
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
4 servings:1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
3/4 pounds boneless stir-fry cut pork (see Note 1)
3 tablespoons CRISCO Oil, divided
3 eggs, lightly beaten
7 -8 shitakes mushrooms, stems removed, thinly sliced (or 1/2 ounce dried - see Note 2)
4 thinly sliced green onions
2 cups thinly sliced cabbage
For Serving: 1/3 cup plum sauce (see Note 1)
8 6-inch flour tortillas
Combine soy sauce, cornstarch, pepper and garlic in mixing bowl. Add pork; marinate 15 minutes. Heat 1 tablespoon Crisco Oil in large skillet or wok on medium-high heat. Add eggs and stir fry until firm, breaking up into small pieces.
Remove from pan; set aside. Add remaining 2 tablespoons Crisco Oil to pan. Add marinated pork; stir fry 3 minutes, or until pork is no longer pink. Add mushrooms, green onions and cabbage to pan. Stir fry 2- 3 minutes or until cabbage is wilted. Stir in eggs.
To serve: Spread plum sauce down the center of each tortilla; place some pork mixture on plum sauce. Tuck one edge over filling, and roll tightly but firmly to enclose filling. Serve immediately.
Note 1: Most supermarkets now carry pork already cut for stir-frying. If not available, use boneless pork loin. Slice into 1/4-inch slices and then into 1/2-inch strips. The recipe can also be prepared with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin slivers.
Look in the Oriental section of your supermarket for Plum Sauce. it is readily available.
Note 2: If using dried shiitakes, pour very hot tap water over dried mushrooms while pork marinates. Keep mushrooms submerged with the back of a spoon. Soak 10 minutes. Drain. Squeeze out extra moisture. Discard stems. Slice caps thinly.
Recipe from Crisco.com  |
