Flavor
IN KC
In the Kitchen MUSHROOMS (MORELS IF YOU’RE LUCKY) BY
Cody Hogan
PHOTOS BY
I
love the idea of foraging for mushrooms. Traipsing through the woods on a warm spring day after a rain, happening upon armloads of earthy morel mushrooms. Imagining pan-fried crispy fried treats, or perhaps roasted quail practically exploding with morel and cornbread stuffing, maybe a creamy morel risotto—oh, the possibilities. In reality, I’ve never had any luck at it. And it takes time. Last year during the pandemic spring when I had more free time than I could ever have imagined, I managed to find a snake warming itself in a sunny spot and a few ticks. I also found a fallen windmill. An Italian friend who was foraging with me found a funnel—Italians, by the way, love looking for mushrooms and other wild edibles their country is blessed with. But not a single morel—so we had to settle for a patch of stinging nettles as a consolation prize. Delicious though they may be, nettles are not morels. If you don’t feel up to foraging this spring, sometimes you can luck onto them at a farmers market or roadside stand. This recipe doesn’t require morels. They would be nice in it, either just a few mixed with other mushrooms, or if you hit the jackpot, the whole quantity called for. But any good mushrooms result in a tasty outcome, regardless of the amount and type of foraging required. Mushroom Tartlets The dough for this recipe is a delicious and simple one I learned from a chef from Gorizia, Italy, on the Slovenian border nearly 20 years ago. The recipe has the good fortune of being impossible to forget. It is simply equal weights of flour, butter, and ricotta cheese and can be made as large or small as needed. For a home-size recipe, enough to make about 12 tartlets (or one large double-crusted tart), combine 1/2 pound each of all-purpose flour, room temperature butter, and ricotta (drained of excess water if you have the time—if the cheese isn’t drained, you may have to add a bit more flour because the dough will be very sticky. For a more American but equally successful version, cream cheese may be used in place of the ricotta.) Add 1 teaspoon salt and mix by hand or in a stand mixer with the paddle, just until the dough comes together. Pat the dough into a disc and wrap it in plastic and chill while you make the mushroom filling. For the filling, prepare the mushrooms by first cleaning them. A half to ¾ pound of mushrooms will be enough for this size dough recipe. A good rinse will do for most varieties, but morels and other foraged mushrooms will need to be cut in half and soaked in a bowl of well-salted water for a few minutes to chase out any critters that may
APRIL 2021
Aaron Leimkuehler
reside within. Drain, rinse, and pat dry the mushrooms with a towel, then slice them. If you would like to give cultivated mushrooms a bit more complexity, a few pieces of dried morel or porcini mushrooms can be included, just be sure to soak them briefly in warm water to rehydrate them and rinse away any grit. Begin by sauteing one small-to-medium diced onion, a diced shallot (optional but delicious), and a clove or three of chopped garlic in butter. ter After a few minutes, when the onions turn translucent, add the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, but allowing them to stick and lightly brown. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Add a tablespoon or so of a chopped fresh herb of your choice, such as sage, rosemary, thyme, or a combination, and continue cooking for about 10 minutes. Covering the pan will help the mushrooms and onions release their liquid, but be sure to uncover the pan for the last few minutes of cooking to evaporate the water, maximize caramelization, and concentrate the flavors. Taste a mushroom to be sure that it is delicious, adjusting the salt if necessary. Turn the mushrooms out into a bowl and allow them to cool for a few minutes. Add about one cup of a cheese you love, preferably a melty one, like Fontina or Muenster, but just about any cheese will get along well with mushrooms—one of those truffled cheeses that are popular right now could be amazing. If you have it, a bit of finely chopped fresh chives or parsley would be a welcome addition at this point, but not absolutely necessary. Stir the mixture to combine thoroughly. Lightly flour a board and roll the dough into a large square or rectangle to about an eighth-of-an-inch thickness for making tartlets. This dough is extremely forgiving and can be rerolled as needed. Cut the dough into about 12 squares and place a responsibly sized dollop of filling on each one. (If you have excess filling, eat it with a spoon or spread it on toast the following day for breakfast.) Fold each square corner to corner and seal the edges. It might help to seal the edge with a dab of water or egg wash if they don’t want to seal. Crimping the edges with a fork also helps and it looks nice, too. Brush the tartlets with a bit of egg wash or cream and bake in a 350F oven for about 25 minutes or until the pastry is a lovely deep golden brown and a bit of the filling may be oozing out of a tartlet or two. Allow to cool briefly before serving. They also reheat beautifully if you would like to serve them a bit later, just make sure they get hot all the way through. For one large tart, divide the dough into two pieces and roll each out to a circle—you can figure out the rest. Serve topped with spring greens for a satisfying meal any time of the day.
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