Robert Wemischner

{Dusky, woodsy, fragrant and begging to be drowned in cream}

To me, nothing says spring luxury more clearly than morels, those wild mushrooms which look like they escaped from an enchanted forest, and particularly a forest where there was a fire since they grow particularly well in soils intermixed with ash. With their pitted texture and hollow center, they are one of spring’s glories, all the more so because they have not been successfully cultivated. Due to small amounts of a toxic acid found in the raw morel, they are always eaten cooked and impart great flavor to a gently simmering stock, heavy cream or a brewed smoky tea/stock combination as used in the  recipe. Be sure to wash them well (three changes of water is a good idea), dry them well and then saute in butter, poach in a flavorful tea-enriched stock and simmer, or drown them in a lightly reduced and herb-scented  cream (fresh tarragon works well, for example) and enjoy! Paired with spring peas and thin asparagus, in a spring risotto, or topping a slab of grilled polenta or more simply over toasted slices of egg- and butter- rich brioche bread, morels, in a starring role, will have you screaming for more!