Fresh Morel Mushrooms in Sparkling Wine Sauce on Toast
Spring's last fling arrives in the arrives in the form of fresh morel mushrooms. In this recipe, morels are pilled onto grilled sourdough bread toast with sugar snap peas and a cream sauce made with sparkling wine. This recipe serves four. Pair with Iron Horse bubbly, of course. It's the kind of dish that makes you want to linger a little longer at table.
Morels on toast is closely associated with Alice Waters and the philosophy of Chez Panisse: take a fleeting seasonal ingredient, do almost nothing to it, and let it shine.
Serves four.
Ingredients
How to Make
Soak fresh morels in water with a tiny pinch of salt to loosen any grit, plus a healthy splash of Sparkling Wine. About 15 minutes. Drain and carefully slice into medium size rings.
Slowly fry the pancetta to crispy, drain on paper and slice thin.
In a cast iron pan, preheated over medium flame, add a generous glug of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO).
Add the leeks and sauté until translucent.
Add 1/2 cup of Sparkling Wine. Cook until wine has reduced, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Add sliced morels and sauté for about 10 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add about half of the thyme leaves. Add all of the pancetta.
Cook a few more minutes, turn off the heat, but keep warm.
Generously brush both sides of the sliced bread with EVOO, grill, toast or broil on both sides
In a small sauce pan, heat up about 3 Tbsp EVOO over medium heat. Add minced shallots and sauté for 3 minutes.
Add about 1/2 cup Sparkling Wine. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Add the chicken broth, remaining thyme leaves, 1/4 fresh lemon. (Just the cut piece; do not squeeze the lemon). Cook for about 5-10 more minutes. Reduce heat slightly an remove lemon piece.
Add about 1 Tbsp of the sauce to the heavy cream to temper. The pour the cream into the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Add about 1/2 of the morels, stir gently. Add the peas, stir gently and remove from the heat.
Arrange the toast on individual plates. Divide the remaining morel mixture over each piece. Spoon the sauce over each one. Several turns of salt and pepper. Add sugar snap peas if using as garnish.
Featured Wines
2022 Spring Rosé
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2021 Classic Vintage Brut
