Spring Fettuccine With Morells Grilled Chicken Recipes

CHICKEN WITH MORELS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Lift the morels carefully from the hot water in order to leave any grit behind in the liquid. Rinse a few times to be sure all the grittiness is gone. Discard the liquid and dry the morels lightly with paper towels. Set aside.
• Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Dredge them in flour and shake off the excess. Heat half the clarified butter in a large saute pan and cook the chicken in 2 batches over medium-low heat until browned on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to an ovenproof casserole.
• Add the rest of the clarified butter to the pan along with the shallots, drained morels, and garlic. Saute over medium heat for 2 minutes, tossing and stirring constantly. Pour the Madeira into the pan and reduce the liquid by half over high heat, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the creme fraiche, cream, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and 3¿4 teaspoon pepper. Boil until the mixture starts to thicken, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour the sauce over the chicken and bake for 12 minutes, or until the chicken is heated through. To make ahead, refrigerate the chicken and sauce in the casserole and reheat slowly on top of the stove.

FETTUCCINE WITH MORELS

Steps:

• Bring six to eight quarts of water to boil for the fettuccine.
• Scoop the dry morels up from their soaking liquid and squeeze them, letting them drain back into the bowl. Strain the soaking liquid through several layers of cheesecloth. Rinse the morels under running water and slice them.
• Prepare the fresh morels. Rinse them quickly under running water and dry them with paper towels. Slice the tops and stems.
• Soften the shallots in the butter in a skillet. Add the morels and the dried morels with their soaking liquid with the chicken stock and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cream and reduce until thickened enough to coat a spoon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Cook the fettuccine in the boiling water until al dente. Drain and combine in a heated bowl with the morels and the parsley. Toss immediately and serve, passing the Parmesan cheese separately.

CHICKEN WITH MORELS, FAVA BEANS AND SPRING POTATOES

Steps:

• Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to a large pot of boiling water and cook the fava beans for 1 minute. Drain, submerge them in ice water, drain again, peel off the outer skins and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken, skin side down, and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, turn the chicken and add the potatoes, garlic, shallots, thyme and bay leaves. Add the remaining salt and the pepper and put the skillet in the oven.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large saute pan over high heat. When hot, add the morels in one layer and saute until golden brown. Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil and remove from heat.
• When the chicken has roasted for 10 minutes, pour the morels over the chicken. Stir until the vegetables are coated with broth. Continue to bake the chicken, basting with the pan juices, until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes longer.
• Add the fava beans and chives to the chicken. Stir until the beans are coated with the pan juices and bake for 2 to 3 minutes more. Arrange the pieces of chicken in the center of a warm platter, pour the vegetables and pan juices over the meat.

CHICKEN WITH SHALLOTS AND MORELS

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons chicken fat in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. Add chicken to skillet and cook, turning once, until golden brown, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining chicken fat to skillet. Add shallots and sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté until they begin to release liquid, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to a plate. Add wine to skillet and boil until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock; bring to a boil. Return chicken to skillet, cover with lid slightly ajar, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to a platter. Return mushrooms to skillet; add cream. Simmer, uncovered, until sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

PASTA WITH MORELS, PEAS AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Bring to a boil 2 pots of water, one small and one large, and salt both. Cook the peas for 1 minute in the small pot; drain and cool quickly by submerging in ice water.
• Meanwhile, melt half the butter in a skillet. Cut the morels into 4 pieces each, the long way, and brown them lightly in the butter, seasoning them with salt and pepper.
• Cook the pasta until it is nearly done. Just before draining, toss the peas and remaining butter with the morels and turn the heat to medium. Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water. Toss the pasta with the morels and peas, adding a little water if necessary to make the mixture saucy. Toss with the Parmesan and lots of black pepper and serve immediately.

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH MORELS

Steps:

• Put morels in mixing bowl and add warm water to cover. Let stand 30 minutes or longer. Drain.
• Put each chicken breast half on flat surface, trim off all remnants of fat and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in small heavy skillet and add 1 tablespoon of shallots. Cook, stirring, until wilted. Add drained morels, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, about 1 minute and add 1/2 of wine. Cook until liquid is reduced by half. Add cream and cook 2 minutes.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in skillet large enough to hold chicken in one layer. Add chicken pieces and cook over moderately high heat. As chicken pieces cook, stir gently without turning about 3 minutes or until nicely browned. Turn and continue cooking about 5 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to warm serving dish, arranging neatly. Add remaining shallots to skillet and stir briefly. Add remaining wine and stir to dissolve brown particles that cling to bottom of pan. Cook down until not quite evaporated. Add chicken broth and cook 1 minute.
• Heat morels in cream and spoon around chicken.
• Swirl remaining tablespoon of butter into sauce with chicken broth and spoon over chicken pieces.