Pea, Morel, and Fiddlehead Ragout

This simple side dish is spring incarnate, featuring two favorites that are in season for only a few brief weeks in the spring: morel mushrooms and fiddlehead ferns.

• 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
• 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 oz. fresh morel mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and thickly sliced
• 4 oz. fiddlehead ferns, washed and trimmed
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 oz. (4 Tbs.) unsalted butter
• Kosher salt
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh chives
• Freshly ground black pepper

Bring a small pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Have a bowl of ice water ready. Cook the peas until bright green and tender, about 30 seconds for fresh and 1 to 2 minutes for frozen. Quickly transfer the peas to the bowl of ice water. When completely cool, drain the peas and set aside.

In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the morels and fiddleheads and let them brown well on one side, about 2 minutes. Add the peas, spinach, broth, butter, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach wilts and the liquid reduces to a glaze, about 5 minutes. Add the parsley and chives and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Leek & Morel Strata

A strata is a savory bread pudding. If you can’t fine morels, substitute porcini or another mushroom.

• 1-1/2 oz. dried morels (about 2-1/2 cups)
• 1 oz. dried shiitakes (about 3/4 cup)
• 6 cups cubed (3/4-inch) baguette
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter; more for the baking dish
• 2 large or 3 medium leeks (white and light green parts only), thinly sliced into half moons (about 3 cups) and washed and drained well
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 large eggs
• 2-1/2 cups whole milk
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x13-inch baking dish with butter. Put the morels in a medium heatproof bowl. Pour in 2 cups boiling water and weight down the morels with a small plate so they are submerged. Soak until they're plumped and softened, about 20 min.

While the mushrooms soak, toast the bread cubes on a baking sheet in the oven until dry and crisp but not necessarily golden, 5 to 10 min. Set aside to cool and turn off the oven. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the mushrooms to a cutting board, squeezing any excess liquid from the mushrooms back into the soaking liquid. Let cool. Remove and discard any tough stems. Coarsely chop the morels. Strain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter or paper towel set in a sieve and reserve 1/2 cup (save the remainder for another use).

Heat the 2 Tbs. butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat until it begins to brown. Add the leeks and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper (about 1/2 tsp. each). Cook, stirring, until the leeks are translucent, soft, and browned in places, 8 to 10 min. Stir in the mushrooms and the reserved 1/2 cup mushroom liquid, raise the heat to medium high, and cook until the liquid almost completely evaporates, 1 to 2 min. Remove from the heat.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in the milk, Parmigiano, 1/2 tsp. salt, and a few generous grinds of pepper. Arrange half of the bread cubes evenly over the bottom of the buttered baking dish. Scatter half of the mushroom-leek mixture over the bread. Pour over half of the egg mixture. Top with the remaining bread, and then the remaining mushroom-leek mixture. Pour the remaining egg mixture over the strata. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

Heat the oven to 350°F. Let the strata sit at room temperature while the oven heats. Uncover and bake until the egg sets and the top browns in places, about 45 min. Let rest for 10 min. before serving.

Leek & Morel Strata

A strata is a savory bread pudding. If you can’t fine morels, substitute porcini or another mushroom.

• 1-1/2 oz. dried morels (about 2-1/2 cups)
• 1 oz. dried shiitakes (about 3/4 cup)
• 6 cups cubed (3/4-inch) baguette
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter; more for the baking dish
• 2 large or 3 medium leeks (white and light green parts only), thinly sliced into half moons (about 3 cups) and washed and drained well
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 large eggs
• 2-1/2 cups whole milk
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x13-inch baking dish with butter. Put the morels in a medium heatproof bowl. Pour in 2 cups boiling water and weight down the morels with a small plate so they are submerged. Soak until they're plumped and softened, about 20 min.

While the mushrooms soak, toast the bread cubes on a baking sheet in the oven until dry and crisp but not necessarily golden, 5 to 10 min. Set aside to cool and turn off the oven. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the mushrooms to a cutting board, squeezing any excess liquid from the mushrooms back into the soaking liquid. Let cool. Remove and discard any tough stems. Coarsely chop the morels. Strain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter or paper towel set in a sieve and reserve 1/2 cup (save the remainder for another use).

Heat the 2 Tbs. butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat until it begins to brown. Add the leeks and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper (about 1/2 tsp. each). Cook, stirring, until the leeks are translucent, soft, and browned in places, 8 to 10 min. Stir in the mushrooms and the reserved 1/2 cup mushroom liquid, raise the heat to medium high, and cook until the liquid almost completely evaporates, 1 to 2 min. Remove from the heat.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in the milk, Parmigiano, 1/2 tsp. salt, and a few generous grinds of pepper. Arrange half of the bread cubes evenly over the bottom of the buttered baking dish. Scatter half of the mushroom-leek mixture over the bread. Pour over half of the egg mixture. Top with the remaining bread, and then the remaining mushroom-leek mixture. Pour the remaining egg mixture over the strata. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

Heat the oven to 350°F. Let the strata sit at room temperature while the oven heats. Uncover and bake until the egg sets and the top browns in places, about 45 min. Let rest for 10 min. before serving.

Creamy Morel Stew with Hasty Pudding

Hasty pudding is the Anglo-American analog of polenta

For the hasty pudding:

• 1 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 2 Tbs. cleaned diced leek, white part only
• 3/4 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• Butter for the ramekins or molds

For the morels:

• 8 oz. fresh morels (or 8 oz. reconstituted dried morels, weighed after soaking and draining) 
• 1 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 2 Tbs. minced shallots
• 1 cup dry Madeira
• Few drops freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1-1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup crème fraîche
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 green peppercorns, lightly crushed
• 4 Tbs. chopped chervil leaves, more for garnish
• 2 Tbs. snipped fresh chives, more for garnish

For the pudding:

Heat the oven to 375°F.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Gently sauté the leeks in the butter for 2 minutes to soften. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Slowly stir in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cool slightly and stir in the egg white.

Divide the mixture among six 4-oz. buttered ovenproof ramekins or molds. Put the ramekins in a shallow baking pan and pour enough boiling water in the pan to come halfway up the sides of the molds. Bake about 25 minutes, until set but tender. (A knife inserted into the middle will come out almost clean.) Set the molds aside and keep warm.

For the morels:

Cut large morels into smaller pieces. Melt the butter in a sauté pan over moderate heat. When the foam subsides, add the morels and sauté until soft but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the shallots and cook for another minute. Add the Madeira and lemon juice. Cook over high heat until liquid is reduced by half. Add the chicken stock and again reduce by half.

Add the crème fraîche and reduce over high heat until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt, pepper, and green peppercorns. Stir in the chervil and chives. Adjust seasoning to taste. Unmold the hasty puddings into serving bowls and nap with the morel stew. Garnish with more chives and chervil.

Asparagus & Wild Mushroom Frittata

• 8 extra-large eggs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1/4 lb. fresh wild mushrooms (morels, cèpes, chanterelles, or oyster mushrooms)
• 1/3 lb. asparagus, trimmed, steamed and cut into 1-inch lengths
• 2 Tbs. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Tip:

If the handle of your skillet isn't ovenproof, wrap the handle well with foil.

Heat the oven to 400ºF. Whisk the eggs vigorously with the salt, and pepper. In an ovenproof 10-inch enameled cast-iron or nonstick skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, and sauté until browned and tender. Stir in the asparagus. Turn the heat to medium high and then pour the eggs into the pan. Let the eggs set for several seconds, and then, with a heatproof spatula, gently stir the eggs, starting from the center. This will make the frittata puff up more in the oven. Lift the edges so that the eggs flow to bottom. When the frittata is half-set, sprinkle on the Parmigiano. Transfer the pan to the heated oven. Cook for about 10 minutes, until puffed and golden.

Dried Morels

To keep fresh morels for a day or two before drying, put them in a loosely closed paper bag in the refrigerator. This recipe can be easily adapted to work with as many fresh morels as you have; the drying time will be the same.

• 1 lb. fresh morels (about 12 cups)
• Kosher salt

Put the morels in a large bowl with enough cold water to cover. Add a pinch of salt and soak for 2 to 3 minutes, gently stirring the morels with your fingers to loosen any grit. Drain well. If the morels are large—more than 2-1/2 inches long—halve them lengthwise.

To air-dry

Thread a poultry needle with a long piece of unwaxed dental floss and string the morels through their stems lengthwise. Hang them in a dry, well-ventilated place (such as a pantry or kitchen) for about 36 hours, or until brittle and easily broken.

To oven-dry

Remove the racks from the oven. Thread a poultry needle with about 6 inches of unwaxed dental floss. Thread a morel crosswise through its stem. Remove the needle and tie the ends of the floss together around a single rack wire so the morel will hang with its cap facing down. Repeat with the remaining morels and additional floss, spacing them about 2 inches apart on all sides. Return the racks to the oven, leaving any unused racks out.


Set the oven to the lowest temperature you can and leave the door partially open. (If your oven cannot be set below 200°F, set it to warm. If it has a convection feature, use it to keep the air circulating.) Try to keep the oven temperature below 140°F so you don’t cook the mushrooms instead of drying them. Dry the morels until they’re brittle and easily broken, 8 to 10 hours depending on their size.

Note: You can also use a food dehydrator to dry fresh morels. Put the cleaned morels in the dehydrator and set it to 110°F for 8 to 10 hours.

Storing

Pack dried morels in freezer bags or storage containers and freeze for up to 1 year. You can also store them at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 6 months, but there will be some flavor loss over time.

Asparagus & Wild Mushroom Frittata

• 8 extra-large eggs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1/4 lb. fresh wild mushrooms (morels, cèpes, chanterelles, or oyster mushrooms)
• 1/3 lb. asparagus, trimmed, steamed and cut into 1-inch lengths
• 2 Tbs. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Tip:

If the handle of your skillet isn't ovenproof, wrap the handle well with foil.

Heat the oven to 400ºF. Whisk the eggs vigorously with the salt, and pepper. In an ovenproof 10-inch enameled cast-iron or nonstick skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, and sauté until browned and tender. Stir in the asparagus. Turn the heat to medium high and then pour the eggs into the pan. Let the eggs set for several seconds, and then, with a heatproof spatula, gently stir the eggs, starting from the center. This will make the frittata puff up more in the oven. Lift the edges so that the eggs flow to bottom. When the frittata is half-set, sprinkle on the Parmigiano. Transfer the pan to the heated oven. Cook for about 10 minutes, until puffed and golden.

Asparagus & Wild Mushroom Frittata

• 8 extra-large eggs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1/4 lb. fresh wild mushrooms (morels, cèpes, chanterelles, or oyster mushrooms)
• 1/3 lb. asparagus, trimmed, steamed and cut into 1-inch lengths
• 2 Tbs. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Tip:

If the handle of your skillet isn't ovenproof, wrap the handle well with foil.

Heat the oven to 400ºF. Whisk the eggs vigorously with the salt, and pepper. In an ovenproof 10-inch enameled cast-iron or nonstick skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, and sauté until browned and tender. Stir in the asparagus. Turn the heat to medium high and then pour the eggs into the pan. Let the eggs set for several seconds, and then, with a heatproof spatula, gently stir the eggs, starting from the center. This will make the frittata puff up more in the oven. Lift the edges so that the eggs flow to bottom. When the frittata is half-set, sprinkle on the Parmigiano. Transfer the pan to the heated oven. Cook for about 10 minutes, until puffed and golden.

Wild Mushroom Toasts

These toasts are best slightly warm, so hold off on toasting the bread until just before serving. You can use cremini mushrooms if you can’t find the exotic varieties listed below.

• 1 lb. wild mushrooms, such as chanterelles, maitakes, hedgehogs, or morels
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil; more as needed
• Kosher salt
• 2 medium shallots, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche (about 4 oz.)
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 18 slices baguette (cut 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Gently clean the mushrooms with a damp cloth or a paring knife to remove any dirt or dark spots. Cut off any tough stems. If the mushrooms appear muddy, quickly dip them into a large basin of water and drain. Leave small, bite-size mushrooms whole; quarter or halve larger mushrooms.

Melt 1 Tbs. of the butter together with 1 Tbs. of the oil in a 10-inch straight-sided sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and a generous pinch of salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until any liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are nicely browned, 5 to 8 minutes. (If the mushrooms are dry and the pan begins to scorch, add a drizzle of olive oil.) Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the mushrooms to a cutting board. Let them cool slightly and chop them coarsely.

Return the pan to the stovetop over medium heat and add the remaining 1 Tbs. butter and 1 Tbs. oil. When the butter has melted, add the shallots, thyme, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the shallots are tender and lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Return the mushrooms to the pan, stir in the crème fraîche (if you’re making this ahead, see the note below), and cook, stirring, to coat the mushrooms with the crème fraîche. Stir in the parsley and season with several grinds of pepper. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and hold in a warm spot.

Shortly before serving, position an oven rack about 6 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler to high. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and brush them with olive oil. Broil until the bread is golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and toast the other side, about 1 minute. Spread the warm mush­room mixture on the toasts, sprinkle some of the Parmigiano-Reggiano on top, and serve.