Spaetzle With Asparagus Morels Recipes

ONE SPECIAL SPAETZLE

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine water, flour, eggs and salt with a wooden spoon. Place dough mixture on a clean cutting board. Flour both sides of the dough and roll into a long rectangle, approximately 12 by 2-inches and 1/8-inch thick. With pizza cutter, cut into strips, 2-inches in length and 1/4-inch wide.
• Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large saucepan. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Drop spaetzle in batches into boiling stock and cook until pasta floats to the surface. Remove pasta to the ice bath. Drain spaetzle and hold on sheet pan. Continue with the other batches.
• In a medium saute pan, add butter, and melt over medium heat until butter turns a light brown. Add garlic and cook until it becomes lightly colored. Add spaetzle to the pan to heat through. Add parsley, cheese, salt and pepper, to taste.
• Serve in a bowl, garnished with Parmesan.

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.

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.

WHITE ASPARAGUS AND MOREL SAUTé

Steps:

• Cook asparagus in large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and cool.
• Melt 4 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add morels and sauté 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; add thyme and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until morels are tender, about 6 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to skillet, then add asparagus; toss to coat. Sauté 2 minutes. Add leeks; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

SPAETZLE

Steps:

• Put first 4 ingredients into bowl and beat well with a whisk or egg beater. Add 2 cups flour and beat in until smooth, thick batter has been achieved.
• Using large rubber spatula or wooden spoon, continue to beat and fold in flour until you have produced an elastic, "pully" mixture that is more than batter (i.e., it won't pour) but rather less than dough (i.e., you can't pick it up in one piece). Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Bring 6 quarts of salted water to boil.
• Improvise spaetzle mill - something that will introduce mixture into water in small droplets or bits. Simplest device is a teaspoon: to use it, stand next to boiling pot with bowl of mixture in hand and flick small amounts of mixture (1/2 teaspoon, less if you have patience) into water. Alternatively, if you have colander with largish holes (1/8-inch or better) put mixture into it, perch it over boiling pot and force mixture through holes with rubber spatula. Best of all, if you have a flat tinned-steel shredder set select the "sled" with 1/2-inch openings, hold it upside down over the pot (using pliers or a pair of vise-grips), put some mixture in sled and, using a pancake turner, force it through holes.
• Cook 10 to 15 minutes or until done as desired. Drain, butter and serve.

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.

SPAETZLE

Steps:

• Beat the eggs. Add the flour and seasonings.
• Slowly add the milk, forming a thick batter.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Using a spaetzle grid or colander and a stiff spatula, place over boiling water. Put a small amount of batter in the center and press through the holes. When the surface of the water is covered with pieces of dough, simmer three to four minutes or until cooked through.
• Drain and rinse in cold water. Drain again. Repeat with remaining dough.
• If made ahead, toss lightly with neutral flavored oil and refrigerate.

VEAL CHOPS WITH ASPARAGUS AND MORELS

Steps:

• Cook asparagus in large saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain. Transfer asparagus to bowl of ice water. Drain well. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap asparagus in paper towels; place in resealable plastic bag and chill.
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet or wide pot with lid over medium-high heat. Add morels and saut° until tender and browned, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer morels to bowl (do not clean skillet).
• Heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil in same skillet over high heat. Sprinkle veal chops with flour, salt, and pepper. Add veal chops to skillet; cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plate. Add remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil to same skillet; add shallot halves, 6 whole sage leaves, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves to skillet and saut until shallots are softened, about 6 minutes. Return veal chops to skillet; cover and roast in oven until tender, about 12 minutes. Transfer chops and shallot mixture to plate. Add remaining peanut oil to skillet; add 1/3 cup minced shallots, sliced sage leaves, and garlic and sauté 3 minutes. Add asparagus, morels, and broth; simmer until asparagus is tender, about 5 minutes. Return veal chops to skillet, cover, and cook just until heated through and liquid is slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Transfer veal chops, morel-asparagus mixture, and pan juices to plates. Sprinkle with chopped chives and serve.
• What to Drink:
• A lighter-style Pinot Noir would be great with the veal chops. We like the earthy, dark berry flavors of the Domaine Jean Grivot 2004 "Les Charmois" Nuits-St.-Georges ($47).

FETTUCCINE WITH MOREL AND ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Cook asparagus in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to bowl. Add fettuccine to same pot and cook until tender but still firm to bite. Drain fettuccine. Return pasta and asparagus to same pot.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in large skillet over low heat. Add garlic and tarragon and stir 1 minute. Add morels and sauté 4 minutes. Add cream and broth; boil until morels are tender and sauce thickens slightly, about 4 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
• Add sauce to pasta and asparagus; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Pass remaining Parmesan separately.