Charlie Palmers Asparagus With Morel Ragout Recipes

ASPARAGUS WITH MORELS AND TARRAGON

Steps:

• Put morels, porcinis or both in a bowl with very hot water to cover; soak until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain morels and reserve soaking liquid. Cut morels in half; if porcinis are large, chop them roughly.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; when butter is hot and foam has subsided, add shallots and reconstituted and fresh mushrooms to pan. Cook until shallots soften and fresh mushrooms have released their liquid and it has cooked off, about 10 minutes.
• Add asparagus and 1/2 cup reserved liquid to pan. Bring liquid to a boil, cover, reduce heat so mixture simmers, and continue cooking for another 2 to 4 minutes, or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Add cream and tarragon or chervil and continue cooking, uncovered, until sauce thickens slightly and asparagus is tender, about 4 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

RICOTTA GNUDI WITH OXTAIL RAGOUT

Steps:

• For the gnudi: Mix together the Parmesan, ricotta, salt, nutmeg, pepper, eggs and egg yolk until light and airy. Fold in the flour and chives. Roll the gnudi dough into 1-inch balls and place on a baking sheet. Cover completely with the semolina flour and refrigerate overnight.
• For the ragout: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Saute the oxtails on all sides in a braising pan until rendered crispy, and then remove from the pan. Add the peppercorns, bay leaves, carrots, celery, onions and thyme and saute for 5 minutes, and then return the oxtails to the pan. Pour in the port and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the veal stock and return to a simmer.
• Transfer the pan to the oven and cook, uncovered, until tender and the meat easily pulls off the bone, turning the oxtails every 30 minutes, about 2 hours total. Remove the oxtails from the liquid and cool to room temperature. Pick the meat from the bones. Meanwhile, simmer the braising liquid over high heat until it becomes a think sauce consistency, and then strain through a fine mesh sieve. Add the oxtail to the sauce and keep warm.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Poach the gnudi until they float to the top, about 5 minutes. Drain and serve on top of the oxtail ragout.

SAUTéED ASPARAGUS WITH MORELS

Steps:

• Drain and slice the morels: Drain and rinse the morels one more time. Then slice them crosswise into 1/4-inch slices.

ASPARAGUS AND MOREL RISOTTO

Steps:

• Place chicken stock in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a simmer.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until butter starts to bubble. Add asparagus and morel mushrooms; saute until tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate with any accumulated juices.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in the same saucepan. Add shallot; cook and stir until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in arborio rice and cook until it starts to toast, about 1 minute. Pour in wine and cook until evaporated. Stir in thyme.
• Pour 1/4 cup of the simmering stock over the rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until stock is absorbed. Repeat with remaining stock until rice is tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Stir in asparagus and mushrooms with their juices and continue until flavors combine, about 3 minutes more.
• Remove rice from the heat. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and parsley. Season with salt and black pepper. Garnish with balsamic vinegar and additional olive oil before serving.

CARTER HOUSE SALMON WITH MOREL-AND-ASPARAGUS RAGOUT

Steps:

• To make the sauce, blend the arugula, pumpkin seeds, olive oil, salt and pepper together in a blender or food processor until smooth. Warm the stock or water, whisk into the arugula puree and keep warm.
• To make the salmon, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Season the fish with salt and pepper and roll it in the minced herbs.
• Heat the 3 tablespoons of butter over high heat in a heavy skillet until it begins to brown. Place the salmon in the pan. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until the fish begins to brown. Transfer to a baking dish and bake for 5 to 6 minutes, until cooked through with a hint of translucence in the center.
• To make the ragout: while the salmon is in the oven, add the 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan that the fish was browned in. Allow the butter to brown slightly over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the asparagus, garlic, shallot, herbs, salt and pepper. Continue to cook for 2 minutes.
• Serve the salmon on top of the ragout, with the sauce drizzled over the fish.

SPRING RAGOUT WITH ASPARAGUS AND POACHED EGGS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, preferably enameled cast iron, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium. Add onion, garlic, jalapeno, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, 6 to 7 minutes. Add tomatillos and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to soften, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Transfer mixture to a blender; let cool slightly. Add 2 cups spinach, cilantro stems, and 1/2 cup water; season with salt and pepper. Blend until pureed, adding up to 1/2 cup more water if needed. Season with salt and pepper.
• Wipe skillet clean; return to medium heat. Swirl in remaining 1/4 cup oil, add spices, and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add scallions, season with salt, and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in chickpeas, tomatillo mixture, asparagus, and remaining 2 cups spinach. Nestle in poached eggs; cover and cook until eggs are heated through and asparagus is bright-green and crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drizzle with oil and top with cilantro leaves; serve.

ASPARAGUS WITH MORELS AND TARRAGON

Steps:

• Cook white and green asparagus separately in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water , uncovered, until just tender, about 5 minutes for white asparagus; about 3 minutes for green asparagus.
• Transfer asparagus with a slotted spoon to a colander and rinse under cold water (to stop cooking), then drain again. Pat dry.
• Heat 3 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté shallots, stirring, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add morels and sauté, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus, tarragon, salt, pepper, and remaining 3 tablespoons butter and sauté, stirring, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Serve immediately.

ASPARAGUS WITH MORELS

Steps:

• cook asparagus separately in boiling water or in microwave until tender, 3-5 minutes.
• refresh under cols water.pat dry.
• heat 3 tbsp butter in large skillet, add shallots and cook until softened. add morels and saute 5 minutes more.
• add asparagus, tarragon, salt and pepper and continue cooking until heated through.
• add remaining butter and remove from heat.
• stir in lemon juice and garnish with tarragon.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH ASPARAGUS, MOREL, AND PEARL-ONION RAGOûT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Blanch onions in boiling salted water 1 minute. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water to stop cooking. Trim root ends and peel.
• Pat chicken dry. Coat a 17- by 12-inch flameproof roasting pan with oil and put chicken in pan. Rub 2 tablespoons softened butter into skin over entire chicken. Season chicken inside and out with salt and pepper. Put 1 lemon half in cavity and squeeze remaining half over chicken.
• Roast chicken in middle of oven 20 minutes. Baste chicken, then continue to roast, basting about every 7 minutes, 20 minutes more. Scatter onions around chicken and continue to roast, turning onions and basting every 7 to 8 minutes, until chicken is golden and a thermometer inserted into fleshy part of a thigh registers 170°F (juices will run clear), 25 to 35 minutes more.
• Once chicken begins roasting, soak morels in warm water 20 minutes. Lift mushrooms out of water, squeezing excess liquid back into bowl, and reserve liquid. Rinse morels thoroughly to remove grit and squeeze dry. Trim any tough stems.
• Pour reserved soaking liquid through a sieve lined with several layers of cheesecloth or a paper towel into a small bowl.
• Cut asparagus diagonally into 2-inch lengths. Arrange on a steamer rack and sprinkle with kosher salt. Steam asparagus, covered, over boiling water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes, then transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking.
• Transfer roast chicken to a platter, then discard string and cover chicken loosely with foil. Transfer onions and pan juices to 2 separate small bowls (do not clean roasting pan). Skim and discard fat from juices.
• Set roasting pan over a burner. Add wine and deglaze by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Add pan juices from bowl, any juices that have accumulated on platter (from chicken), mushroom-soaking liquid, and morels, then boil until liquid is reduced to about 1/3 cup.
• Cut remaining 2 tablespoons butter into pieces and add to morels with onions and asparagus. Cook over moderately high heat, shaking pan, until butter is just incorporated and vegetables are glazed. Season vegetables with salt and pepper and spoon around chicken.