Braised Porcini

10 oz fresh or 2 oz rehydrated porcini
2 shallots, minced
1 onion, minced
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock (or mushroom stock from dried porcini)
2 tbsp minced parsley

Clean the porcini well, then chop them. Saute the shallot and onion in the olive oil and butter until softened. Add the mushrooms and saute for 7 to 8 minutes longer. Stir in some salt and pepper, then the flour and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Add the wine and stock, and cook for 10 minutes longer. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.

Recipe from The Complete Mushroom Book : Savory Recipes for Wild and Cultivated Varieties by Antonio Carluccio.

Porcini Chicken

EM Staff Note: Best served with steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes. Cooking sherry can be used if dry vermouth is not available.

1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
salt and pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenderloins removed and trimmed of excess fat, halved horizontally, and pounded 1/4 inch thick
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 small shallot, minced
1/4 cup dry vermouth, cooking sherry can be used in a pinch
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon juice form 1 lemon

1. Rinse porcini in large bowl of cold water, agitating them with hands to release dirt and sand. Allow dirt and sand to settle to bottom of bowl, then lift porcini from water and transfer to microwave-safe 2-cup measuring cup. Add chicken broth, submerging porcini beneath the surface of liquid. Microwave on high power for 1 minute, until broth is steaming. Let stand for 10 minutes. Using tongs, gently lift porcini out of broth and transfer to cutting board, reserving broth. Chop porcini into 3/4-inch pieces and transfer to medium bowl. Strain broth through a fine-mesh strainer lined with large coffee filter into bowl with chopped porcini.

2. Combine 1/4 cup flour, 1 teeaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in pie plate. Working one piece at a time, dredge chicken in flour, shaking gently to remove excess. Set aside on plate.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Place 4 cutlets in skillet and cook without moving until browned, about 2 minutes. Flip cutlets and continue to cook until second sides are opaque, 15-20 seconds. Transfer to large plate. Add 1 tablespoon oil to now empty skillet and repeat to cook remaining cutlets. Tent plate loosely with foil.

4. Add remaining teaspoon oil to now empty skillet and return pan to medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 30 seconds. Add remaining teaspoon flour and cook, whisking constantly, 30 seconds. Increase heat to medium-high and whisk in vermouth, soaked porcini and their liquid, tomato paste, soy sauce, and sugar. Simmer until reduced to 1 cup, 3-5 minutes.

5. Transfer cutlets and any accumulated juices to skillet. Cover ands simmer until cutlets are heated through, about 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat and transfer cutlets to serving platter. Whisk butter, thyme, and lemon juice into sauce and season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

Recipe from Cook's Illustrated March 2009.

Ritz Crackers & Parmesan Cheese Breaded Morels:

EM Staff Note: great appetizer recipe, serve warm and watch them quickly disappear!

Two extra large eggs, beaten
One part each -Ritz crackers (crushed fine) and shaker style parmesan cheese.
Approximately 8 to 10, 2-3 inch morel mushrooms (halved)
Unsalted Real Butter

Melt butter medium to high heat. Halve and wash the morels in cold water, use NO salt. Bathe them in the beaten egg, turning and making sure every nook and cranny is coated with egg. Sprinkle lightly with black pepper (optional-mix the black pepper with the dredge mixture). Dredge through the cheese and cracker mixture until coated well. Drop coated morels into the hot skillet with real unsalted butter, turn once and until golden brown. Serve hot.

Recipe from The Great Morel.

Sautéed Morels with Cream:

EM Staff Note: When made with morel mushrooms this is BY FAR one of our favorite mushroom dishes. Serve this cream sauce over a rare strip steak and you will make friends for life! Also works well with sliced porcini mushrooms.

15-20 fresh morels or reconstituted dried, cut in half if large (sub sliced porcini mushrooms)
1 large shallot chopped fine
1 large clove garlic chopped fine
2 TBS butter (best with unsalted)
2 TBS olive oil
3/4 cup morel stock
1 cup heavy cream
salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Put olive oil in heated pan over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots, stir and sauté until softened but not brown. Add butter until melted then add morels. Stir and cook until mushrooms start to brown, about five minutes. Add morel stock and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add cream and cook on low until reduced and thickened, about 30-45 minutes. Classically served on toast, but the best on grilled New York strip steaks.

Recipe from The Great Morel.

Scrambled Eggs with Lobster Mushroom Hash:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup diced onion
12 ounces large fresh or 1-2 ounces rehydrated dried lobster mushrooms, cleaned and diced 1/2 inch (about 2 3/4 cups)
1 1/2 cups cooked, peeled, diced (1/2 inch) russet potato (see Note)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon or thyme
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons heavy (or whipping) cream (optional)
8 large eggs
1/2 cup finely chopped chives

1. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a medium-size (8-inch) heavy nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat until it begins to foam. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until it begins to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the mushrooms and potato. Cook over medium heat until the mushrooms are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and tarragon. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the hash is well browned and the mushrooms are very tender, about 20 minutes. Scrape the bits that stick to the pan back into the hash. Add salt and pepper tot aste. Stire in the cream, if using. Press the has into an even layer in the skillet. Lower the heat to medium-low and continue cooking until the underside of the hash is crisp, about 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, beat the eggs, chives, and 2 tablespoons of water in a bowl until thoroughly blended. Spoon the hash out onto a serving plate and keep it warm. If using a cast-iron pan, wipe it out thoroughly. dd the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet. Pour in the eggs and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, to the desired consistency. Remove the pan from the heat and season with salkt and petter to taste. Spoon the eggs next to the hash. Serve immediately.

Note: A leftover baked russet potato works perfectly in this recipe. If starting from scratch, simmer a scrubbed potato (about 8 ounces) in salted water to cover until tender, about 35 minutes. Drain the potato and cool it completely before peeling and dicing. Simmering the potatos in the mushroom broth from rehydrating dried mushrooms can help infuse more mushroom flavor into the dish.

Recipe adapted from The Mushroom Lover's Cookbook and Primer by Amy Farges.