White Asparagus And Morel Sauté Recipes

ASPARAGUS WITH MORELS

Steps:

• cook asparagus separately in boiling water or in microwave until tender, 3-5 minutes.
• refresh under cols water.pat dry.
• heat 3 tbsp butter in large skillet, add shallots and cook until softened. add morels and saute 5 minutes more.
• add asparagus, tarragon, salt and pepper and continue cooking until heated through.
• add remaining butter and remove from heat.
• stir in lemon juice and garnish with tarragon.

SAUTéED ASPARAGUS WITH MORELS

Steps:

• Drain and slice the morels: Drain and rinse the morels one more time. Then slice them crosswise into 1/4-inch slices.

WHITE ASPARAGUS AND MOREL SAUTé

Steps:

• Cook asparagus in large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and cool.
• Melt 4 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add morels and sauté 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; add thyme and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until morels are tender, about 6 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to skillet, then add asparagus; toss to coat. Sauté 2 minutes. Add leeks; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

WHITE ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH MORELS

Steps:

• Snap off ends of white asparagus. Trim triangular leaves from sides, and peel spears. Cut top 2 inches off spears. Finely slice rest.
• Place tops in saucepan of salted water. Simmer 8 minutes. Add wild asparagus or green tips; simmer 2 minutes. Drain.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in 2-quart saucepan. Add shallot and garlic; sauté over medium-low heat until tender. Do not brown. Remove half of shallot and garlic; set aside. Add sliced asparagus to saucepan, with chicken stock, bay leaf, 2 sprigs thyme and salt and white pepper to taste. Simmer 10 minutes, until asparagus is very soft.
• Put morels in small saucepan. Add 1/2 cup water, reserved shallots, garlic and remaining thyme. Simmer 2 minutes, until water is almost evaporated. Add asparagus tops and wild asparagus or green tips, toss, and season with salt and pepper. Remove thyme.
• Remove herbs from saucepan with sliced asparagus. Add cream and remaining butter. Return to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to blender jar. Blend on very low a few seconds, then blend on highest speed about one minute.
• Divide morels, asparagus tops and wild asparagus or green tips in each of four soup bowls. Pour soup over, and serve. (Soup and garnish can also be chilled and served cold.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH WHITE ASPARAGUS AND MOREL SAUTé WITH CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• Toss chicken pieces with peel, thyme, and chopped parsley in large bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Let chicken pieces stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; let stand 15 minutes more.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Melt 2 tablespoons butter with oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, add chicken pieces, skin side down; cook until deep brown, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken over; reduce heat to medium and cook 2 minutes. Arrange in single layer in large ovenproof pot. Pour off all but 4 tablespoons drippings from skillet. Add onion, leeks, morels, and bay leaves to skillet; sauté over medium heat until vegetables are golden, about 7 minutes. Add wine and Sherry; increase heat to high and boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add broth; bring to boil. Add 6 parsley sprigs. Pour vegetables over chicken. Cover pot with plastic wrap, then foil. Bake until chicken is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Increase oven temperature to 400°F. Transfer chicken pieces to rimmed baking sheet; roast in oven until brown, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, strain vegetable-broth mixture into medium saucepan. Press on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Boil liquid until reduced to 3 cups, about 15 minutes. Whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Season with salt and pepper.
• Arrange chicken on large platter. Spoon reduced juices over. Arrange white asparagus, morels, and leeks over and around chicken. Top each chicken leg with dollop of crème fraîche and serve.

CHICKEN FRICASSEE WITH MORELS AND ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Heat 2 teaspoons of butter in a large, wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and sear until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan. Lower the heat to medium, place 1 teaspoon of butter and the shallots in the pan and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
• Add the broth, wine and thyme and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken and bring back to a simmer. Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken and tent with foil to keep warm. Increase the heat and simmer the liquid until it has reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Remove the thyme.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add the asparagus and blanch until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Heat the remaining butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the asparagus and the morels and saute until tender, about 4 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste.
• Stir the cream, 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste into the sauce. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Divide the chicken among 4 plates and spoon the sauce over it. Place the asparagus and morels around the chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

SAUTEED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Drizzle olive oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat and heat. Once oil is hot add asparagus spears; cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water and cover to steam asparagus and keep it from drying out. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes or until asparagus is tender. Season with salt and pepper.

FRESH MOREL, ASPARAGUS AND SWEET-PEA RISOTTO

Steps:

• Cook the asparagus in boiling, salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Cut diagonally into 1/4-inch slices and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until soft, about 10 minutes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper and set aside.
• Bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan, reduce heat and keep at a low simmer. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter with the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and garlic and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the rice with a wooden spoon, turning to coat well. Cook, stirring constantly, for 4 minutes. Stir in the wine, raise the heat to medium and cook until the wine is absorbed, about 1 minute.
• Begin adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and adding more broth as it is absorbed by the rice. Adjust heat so rice and broth cook at a steady simmer. After about 15 minutes, the rice should be somewhat tender and some broth should be left.
• Cook for another few minutes, adding more broth as needed, until the rice is al dente. Stir in the asparagus, the mushrooms, the peas, the chives and 1 tablespoon of butter. Season with 2 teaspoons of salt and pepper. Divide among 6 shallow bowls and garnish with the chervil. Serve immediately.

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 WITH MORELS AND TARRAGON

Steps:

• Cook white and green asparagus separately in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water , uncovered, until just tender, about 5 minutes for white asparagus; about 3 minutes for green asparagus.
• Transfer asparagus with a slotted spoon to a colander and rinse under cold water (to stop cooking), then drain again. Pat dry.
• Heat 3 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté shallots, stirring, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add morels and sauté, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus, tarragon, salt, pepper, and remaining 3 tablespoons butter and sauté, stirring, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Serve immediately.

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.

ASPARAGUS WITH MUSHROOMS AND TARRAGON

Steps:

• Cook asparagus separately in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until just tender, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer asparagus with a slotted spoon to a colander and rinse under cold water (to stop cooking), then drain again. Pat dry.
• Heat 1/2 the butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté shallots, stirring, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus, tarragon, salt, pepper, and remaining butter and sauté, stirring, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Serve immediately.