I am a big
fan of the side dish. I have always felt
that the simplest of main dishes can be company worthy when accompanied by a sumptuous
side dish. This recipe is perfect
company fare as it is make ahead, tasty, and rather easy to put together. Plus,
anything with morels is sure to wow. Don’t
let the passing of morel
season prevent you from making this dish (adapted from one found in the April
2014 issue of St. Louis’s own Feast Magazine, and courtesy of Cassy Vires of
Home Wine Kitchen), Melissa’s Produce has saved the day with their dried
morel mushrooms
that, really, are so close to fresh ones (without the dirt) that no one will be
the wiser.
I
wandered from the original recipe a bit, placing the leek-morel mixture into an oval crème brûlée dish, then topping it with thyme, cheese and breadcrumbs, and
baking it at 350°F for about 10 minutes, until hot and bubbly. In addition to being an elegant side, it
would make a great vegetarian main dish.
Leek and Morel Gratin
Serves
2
1
tablespoon unsalted butter
3
tablespoons leeks, sliced
1
.5-oz. pkg. Melissa’s dried morels
Salt and Freshly
ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dry
sherry
¼ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons fresh
thyme, chopped
3 tablespoons
Gruyere cheese, grated
¼ cup plain breadcrumbs
Place dried morels
in a medium bowl and cover with lukewarm water.
Set aside to hydrate for 30 minutes.
Drain mushrooms (saving liquid for other uses), and rinse mushrooms,
then spread out onto a paper towel-covered plate to dry.
Preheat oven to
350°F.
In a medium
skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter.
Add leeks, and cook until soft and fragrant. Add morels and season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft. Increase heat to high and
add sherry. Cook for 1 minute to allow
alcohol to burn off. Add cream and
reduce heat to low. Simmer for 5
minutes. Pour into individual ramekins
or crème brûlée dish. Top with thyme, Gruyere, and breadcrumbs. Bake for 10-15 minutes until hot and
bubbly. Serve immediately.
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Morels have got to be one of the most wonderful flavors around. Too bad they are hard to get and so expensive. Dried ones are OK, but a shadow of the fresh ones.
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