 June 12, 2005 |
 | Drying Morel Mushrooms | | Recent News on the Chef2Chef News Desk | | Recipe Club: Vanilla Recipes for Summer Parties and Enjoyment | | Visit our Newest Market Place Vendors | | How to Choose and Use Vanilla Beans | | Recipe of the Week: Mexican Vanilla Ice Cream | | Today's Top 10 Discussion Forum Threads | | LOTS OF NEW Jobs at Chef2Chef.Net! |
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Drying Morel Mushrooms
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 not 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 $16 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
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.
Makes 6 servings
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
Preparation:
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 do not 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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This Week's Recipe Club: Vanilla Recipe for Summer Parties and Enjoyment
Date: June 13, 2005 - June 17, 2005
Guest Host: Patricia Rain
Theme: Vanilla Recipes for Summer Parties and Enjoyment - Monday: Grilled Chicken with Vanilla Glaze; Fresh Creamed Corn; Very Easy Vanilla Cream Cheese Pie.
- Tuesday: Vanilla Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Fruit; Rich Corn Bread; Nanaimo Bars.
- Wednesday: Grilled Skirt Steak Salad with Black Beans and Mango; Jamaica Agua Fresca; Mexican Vanilla Ice Cream.
- Thursday: Marinated Scallops with Vanilla-Citrus Aioli; Rice with Coconut, Vanilla, Dates, and Lemon; Blackberry and White Nectarine Upside Down Cake.
- Friday: Jerked Ribs with Pineapple-Jicama Salsa; Honey Vanilla Peach Sparkler; Vanilla Polenta Pound Cake.
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Win a copy of our "Chef of the Month", Zov Karamardian's cookbook, Recipes and Memories from the Heart. Winners picked June 15th.
Winners:
May winners from TempGun are Erika Howard, Ken Adams II, Gary Meyer, and Tracy Fisher. Congratulations!
Last Month, Thomas Borowitz won the All Clad pan and cover, a Signature Secrets Culinary Thickener t-shirt and a case of Signature Secrets Culinary Thickener. Chad Boyd won a case of Signature Secrets Culinary Thickener and Sylvia Buck won a jug of Signature Secrets Culinary Thickener. Congratulations!
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Let Dad know how much you care with a special Father's Day meal he is sure to love! And for dessert? A cookie "tie" that will make him smile! The fastest way to a father's heart is through his stomach! Show Dad how much you care with a Father's Day menu that will satisfy even the biggest appetite! Click here for 5 great recipes you can make for your Dad on Father's Day or any day.
How to Choose and Use Vanilla Beans
Choosing Vanilla Beans
Vanilla beans - those pricey, fragrant, dried seed-pods that offer no easy clue about how to use them - are native to tropical America. There are over 150 varieties of vanilla orchids (there are 27 varieties in South Florida alone), but only two species are used commercially to flavor and fragrance foods and beverages-- Bourbon and Tahitian. Bourbon beans are botanically known as Vanilla planifolia or Vanilla fragrans and originally came from the Gulf Coast of Mexico. When grown in Mexico they are called Mexican beans. On the other hand, beans from the same plant stock are called Bourbon beans if they grow in Madagascar, Indonesia, and many other regions. The big exception is the beans from Tahiti. Even though Tahitian vanilla is now considered its own species, the original plant stock also came from Mexico.
Beans vary in flavor and fragrance when they are grown in different parts of the world. Soil and climate differences as well as methods of curing the beans imbue unique qualities in beans. Vanilla grown only 20 miles apart can have subtle but distinct differences in flavor and appearance.
For more Tips on Using and Storing Vanilla Beans by Patricia Rain | Sponsored by |
Today's Recipe: Mexican Vanilla Ice Cream
Ingredients: 1 Mexican vanilla bean, split
1 cup half and half
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
6 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon Pure Mexican Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon freshly ground canela (Ceylon cinnamon) (optional)
Instructions:
Scrape the seeds from the split vanilla bean. Place the vanilla bean and seeds, half and half, heavy cream and 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan and gently warm over a low flame until the sugar has dissolved.
Place the egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup of sugar in a bowl and beat (electric mixer or by hand with a whisk) until the mixture thickens and turns pale yellow.
Add about 1/2 cup of the warm cream mixture to the egg yolk mixture and beat until blended. Gradually add the rest of the warm cream mixture to the egg yolks, beating as you do so.
Return the custard to the saucepan and gently cook until it thickens to the coats-the-spoon stage. Don't hurry this step. Stir constantly over a low flame, taking care not to curdle the custard.
Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve. Remove the vanilla bean, scrape out the pods and add to the strained custard and stir until well blended. Add additional extract to taste.
Continue the final process of making the ice cream according to the directions of your ice cream maker.
Makes 1 quart.
Recipe by Patricia Rain, The Vanilla Queen Sponsored by  |
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