Morels on toast
This is one of the best starters or lunch dishes in any cuisine. Mushrooms on toast make appearances on lots of traditional, but knowing, British restaurant menus; it was the first dish the Editor tasted at Fergus Henderson's late, lamented French House Dining Room in Soho. He used seasonal fresh wild mushrooms; you can make this version any time.
- 1 oz dried morels and hot water to cover them
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- about ½ cup minced shallots
- heaped ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 6 oz dry (and inexpensive rainwater blend is fine)Madiera or Amontillado sherry
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon mushroom ketchup (or substitute Worcestershire)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon minced chives or scallions
- 1 Tablespoon minced fresh herbs (parsley, chervil or savory)
- 4 pieces of toast
- Soak the morels in the water until tender (20-40 minutes).
- Gently squeeze the liquid from the morels--you do not want to break them--then strain the soaking liquid to remove any grit.
- Reduce the liquid to about 2 Tablespoons.
- Melt the butter over medium low heat and cook the shallots until they soften and just begin to color.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the morels. Stir fry the mixture for about 5 minutes.
- Add the cream and ketchup and let the sauce thicken.
- Stir the lemon juice, chives or scallions and herbs into the creamed mushrooms, reduce the heat to low and cook for a few more seconds.
- Serve the morels on the toast.
Notes: The obvious drink with this is the fortified wine you used to cook it, or a drier fino sherry, but beer--a pale ale, IPA or porter--is equally good.
- We never knew how morels got their smokey flavor. Apparently, they grow only on forest floors that have suffered fires. Apocryphal? Readers are invited to instruct us.