Robert Wemischner

Yield: 4 generous servings

I know that spring is here when morels, asparagus, and sugar snap peas appear in profusion at my local farmer’s markets. The whole is far greater than the sum of its parts in a seasonal dish which pairs the wild mushrooms with the quickly cooked bright green spears and some sugar snap peas (One suggested subtitle for this dish: The “king of mushrooms” meets the “king of cheeses”. ) Smoky black Chinese tea plays its role as the steeping liquid for the mushrooms uniting the elements of the dish. It also lends umami or a ”meaty” richness to the ensemble and brings out the woodsy forest intensity of the morels. The high starch risotto rice used here (look for Carnaroli type) soaks up the flavorful broth leading to a creamy, but not overly rich, one pot entree. A small amount of sweet butter and a shaving of Parmigiano-Reggiano, respectively, lend a silky and slightly salty edge to this celebration of spring. And beyond the pleasurable time of sourcing the main ingredients at the farmer’s market, the actual preparation time is minimal for a dish that this elegant and satisfyingly complex.

For the mushrooms:

4 ounces fresh morels or other wild mushrooms of your choice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 T. unsalted butter

For the poaching liquid:

1 T. lapsang souchong leaves (smoked Chinese black tea)

2 quarts of vegetable stock (homemade, or boxed, available in aseptic packages; look for lower sodium varieties, if available)

Wash the morels carefully in three changes of lukewarm water to remove sand and grit. Cut them in half lengthwise and rinse again to be sure that you have removed all sand and grit. Dry well on paper towels, salt and pepper lightly and set aside.

In a small saucepan bring the broth and the tea to a boil. Immediately, remove from the heat and allow the liquid to stand in the saucepan for about 3 minutes, or until the tea flavor and aroma are clearly evident. (Taste frequently to avoid over steeping the tea which will lead to a tannic, bitter broth). Then pour the liquid through a fine sieve, pressing hard on the tea, reserving the liquid, and discarding the spent tea leaves. (The leaves may be used as fertilizer or compost for your vegetable garden).   Set aside one cup of the broth, one half of which will be used for cooking the mushrooms, asparagus and sugar snap peas, and the other half of which will be used as the final addition to the risotto, stirred in just before serving the dish.

Return the remaining, larger quantity of the sieved liquid to a saucepan, and over low heat, keep warm until ready to use. This is the liquid that will be used to cook the rice for the risotto below.

For the risotto:

2 T. unsalted butter

1 c. onions, peeled, and finely chopped

1-1/2 cups uncooked Carnaroli or Arborio risotto rice (readily available in good supermarkets and specialty stores)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a heavy 4 quart saucepan, melt the butter. Add the chopped onions and cook over medium heat, stirring, until tender but not browned, about 10 minutes. Lower the heat and add the rice and stir to coat each grain of rice with the butter. Continue cooking until the grains separate, about 30 seconds.

Now, one cup at a time, add the broth-tea liquid, stirring constantly until the liquid evaporates before adding the next cup.  Continue adding broth, cup by cup, until the rice is well expanded and tender. Cover the saucepan and keep the cooked rice warm.

To cook the mushrooms:

1 t. unsalted butter

Cleaned and dried mushrooms

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat the butter in a small, heavy saute pan. Add the mushrooms and saute over high heat just until lightly browned on one side, about one minute. Turn gently to cook the other side and add enough of the reserved stock-tea liquid to allow the mushrooms to float freely in the pan. Continue cooking over medium heat until the liquid evaporates. Watch carefully to avoid burning.  Set aside, covered, and keep warm.

Just before serving, prepare the following vegetable garnish:

12 medium thick asparagus spears

12 sugar snap peas

Trim off the lower 2 inches of each of the asparagus spears. Grab the top pointed stem end of each sugar snap pea and gently pull downward toward the inside curve of the pea to remove the string.

Heat the half cup of broth in a saucepan large enough to accommodate the asparagus and snap peas. Add the vegetables and cook gently over medium heat until the asparagus and snap peas turn bright green. (The vegetables should be barely tender; do not overcook). Immediately remove from the heat.

To finish the risotto just before serving:

2 to 3 ounces freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus extra, if desired, to be grated at the table

Pour in the remaining cup of the hot tea broth mixture into the risotto and stir gently (the risotto should be moist but not soupy). Then stir in the butter and divide into four equal portions. Place each portion into heated bowls, place one quarter of the morels and the vegetables on top of each serving. Grate the cheese over each and serve immediately. Offer the block of cheese, if desired, to be grated additionally at the table.