Nonna Rosas Morel And Asparagus Quiche Recipes

ASPARAGUS AND MOREL QUICHE

Steps:

• In a food processor, whirl flour and butter until mixture looks like cornmeal. Add 1 egg and whirl until dough holds together. Press evenly over bottom and 1 1/4 in. up side of a 9-in. springform pan; chill.
• Preheat oven to 375°. Soak mushrooms in a small bowl with 1 cup hot water until softened, 15 to 20 minutes, swishing them around every so often. Gently squeeze out liquid. Cut in half lengthwise if large. Save liquid for another use.
• Blanch asparagus in a saucepan of boiling water until barely tender-crisp, about 45 seconds. Drain, transfer to a bowl of ice water, and cool. Drain and pat dry.
• In a bowl, whisk remaining 2 eggs to blend. Whisk in half-and-half, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle gruyère and onion in prepared crust, then arrange asparagus and morels on top. Pour egg mixture over vegetables.
• Bake quiche on bottom rack until filling no longer jiggles when gently shaken, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a rack at least 30 minutes. Loosen quiche from pan rim with a knife, remove rim, and slice. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.

CHICKEN, MOREL MUSHROOM & ASPARAGUS ONE-PAN PIE

Steps:

• If you are using dried mushrooms, heat the stock and soak them for 10 mins, then remove them, strain the liquid and set it aside. If you're using fresh mushrooms, clean them thoroughly before using. Set a couple of the nicest-looking morels aside to decorate the top of the pie, and halve the rest.
• Heat half the butter in a skillet and fry the halved morels for 3-4 mins or until wilted. Scoop them onto a plate and set aside. Heat the remaining butter and gently cook the shallots in the pan with the thyme and bay. Once softened, stir in the flour and cook for 1 min or until you have a sandy paste.
• Pour in the sherry and sizzle, then carefully stir in the strained soaking liquid (or 200ml chicken stock if you've used fresh morels), followed by the crème fraîche. Season well and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Add the chicken and poach in the sauce for 10 mins or until the chicken is just cooked through. Remove the bay, stir through the asparagus, tarragon and fried morels, then remove from the heat.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 8. The pastry needs to sit on top of the ingredients, so if your pan is too deep, use a pie dish instead. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin, then cut the pastry to fit the pan or dish, and drape it over the pie mixture using a rolling pin to help you. Liberally brush with egg, season the pastry with flaky sea salt, and pop your reserved morels on the top. Bake for 20 mins or until the pastry has puffed and is a deep golden brown. Leave tor rest for 5 mins before serving straight from the pan.

ROSE ELLIOT ASPARAGUS 'QUICHE'

Steps:

• Cook the asparagus in a little boiling water for a few minutes until it's just tender; drain and place evenly in a quiche dish. Sprinkle with half the grated cheese.
• Whisk the eggs with some salt and pepper. Pour over the asparagus and cheese, then top with the remaining cheese.
• Bake in a preheated oven, 180ºC, 350ºF, Gas Mark 4, for 25-30 minutes, or until set, risen and lightly browned.
• Serve hot, warm or cold.

SALMON & ASPARAGUS QUICHE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put a baking sheet in the oven to heat up. Dust a clean work surface with flour, then roll out 600g of the pastry to line a 20 x 30cm tin. Trim the edges with scissors so that the pastry sits 2-3mm higher than the sides of the tin. Prick the surface all over with a fork, then line with baking parchment and add an even layer of baking beans. Place on the hot baking sheet and blind-bake for 15 mins.
• Meanwhile, roll out the remaining pastry and any off-cuts, cut into strips and plait together. Take the tin out of the oven, remove the baking beans and brush all over with a thin layer of beaten egg. Stick the pastry plaits onto the edges, brush with beaten egg and return to the oven for another 15 mins until cooked through but not brown.
• Meanwhile, heat the butter in a frying pan over a low heat and add the onion. Cook gently for 15-20 mins or until soft, then stir in the fennel seeds and take off the heat. Leave to cool in the pan.
• Remove the tart case from the oven and set aside while you cook the rest of the filling. Add the asparagus to a large sauté pan, cover with 2-3cm water, bring to a simmer and cook for 5 mins. Drain, then rinse in cold water to cool down quickly. Leave to dry on kitchen paper. Put the empty pan back on the hob, add the milk and salmon, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 4 mins, turning once.
• Carefully take the salmon out of the milk and lay on a plate. Pour the milk into a large heatproof jug and set aside. Spoon the onion and fennel seeds in an even layer across the base of the pastry case. Add the asparagus and, when the salmon is cool enough to handle, break chunks of it over the asparagus. Add the cream to the milk along with the rest of the eggs, the dill and lemon zest, then season. Pour the mixture into the pastry case, top with the cheese, then carefully put back in the oven for 45 mins-1 hr or until the filling is set and the cheese on top is turning golden. Serve warm or cold with a fennel and rocket salad.

SAUTé OF WHITE ASPARAGUS, MORELS, AND RAMPS OVER POLENTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
• Snap off the ends of the asparagus (they will break naturally where their toughness begins), and peel the stalks.
• Clean the ramps and prepare the ramps according to the method described on page 33.
• Blanch the asparagus in heavily salted boiling water about 5 minutes, until tender. To test for doneness, take a spear out of the water, cut a small piece off the end, and taste it. (Remember, the spears will continue to cook a little as they cool.) Carefully remove the asparagus to a baking sheet to cool.
• If the morels are large, cut them in half.
• Heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes. (If you don't have a pan that's large enough to hold all of the vegetables, heat two pans and divide ingredients accordingly.) Add 4 tablespoons butter to the pan, and when it foams, scatter the morels into the pan, being careful not to overcrowd them. Sauté the mushrooms 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often. Turn down the heat to medium, and add the thyme, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and a few grindings of pepper. Let the mushrooms cook another 6 to 8 minutes. They should be crispy on the outside, yet still tender. (The amount of cooking time really depends on the mushrooms; sometimes they give off water, which will require a longer cooking time, to allow the water to evaporate and the morels to crisp.)
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the mushrooms, and place the blanched asparagus carefully in the pan. Toss to coat the asparagus in all the mushroomy brown butter, and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the ramps to the pan, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook another 2 minutes, tossing often so all the flavors meld and everything is coated in the butter. Taste for seasoning.
• Spoon the polenta onto a large warm platter. Using tongs, arrange the asparagus and ramps, randomly overlapping them over the polenta. Spoon the morels and all the butter over the top, and scatter the parsley over everything.
• In a heavy-bottomed pot, bring 5 1/2 cups water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil over high heat. Add the polenta slowly, whisking continuously. Turn the heat down to low, and continue cooking for another 20 minutes, whisking often. Add another 1/2 cup water and cook 1 more hour, whisking often and adding 1/2 cup water as needed, about every 20 minutes. The flame should be low, so that the polenta is barely simmering. As you whisk, make sure that you reach the bottom of the pan to prevent the polenta from scorching. I like to use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the pot.
• Whisk in the butter, and taste for seasoning. Even when the polenta is finished, you might sense it thickening up a little. If so, add a little more water and whisk to get the right consistency. If you're not serving right away, cover the pan with plastic wrap to keep the polenta from thickening or losing moisture. If necessary, rewarm over low heat before serving.
• You can blanch the asparagus and ramps a few hours ahead.

ASPARAGUS AND MOREL RISOTTO

Steps:

• Place chicken stock in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a simmer.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until butter starts to bubble. Add asparagus and morel mushrooms; sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate with any accumulated juices.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in the same saucepan. Add shallot; cook and stir until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in arborio rice and cook until it starts to toast, about 1 minute. Pour in wine and cook until evaporated. Stir in thyme.
• Pour 1/4 cup simmering stock over rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until stock is absorbed. Repeat with remaining stock until rice is tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Stir in asparagus and mushrooms with their juices and continue cooking until flavors combine, about 3 minutes more.
• Remove rice from heat. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and parsley. Season with salt and black pepper. Garnish with balsamic vinegar and additional olive oil before serving.

ASPARAGUS AND MOREL RISOTTO

Steps:

• Place chicken stock in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a simmer.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until butter starts to bubble. Add asparagus and morel mushrooms; saute until tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate with any accumulated juices.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in the same saucepan. Add shallot; cook and stir until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in arborio rice and cook until it starts to toast, about 1 minute. Pour in wine and cook until evaporated. Stir in thyme.
• Pour 1/4 cup of the simmering stock over the rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until stock is absorbed. Repeat with remaining stock until rice is tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Stir in asparagus and mushrooms with their juices and continue until flavors combine, about 3 minutes more.
• Remove rice from the heat. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and parsley. Season with salt and black pepper. Garnish with balsamic vinegar and additional olive oil before serving.