Regift? The Morel of the Story: Grilled Pizza
Over the last year, I've become friendly with Ryan, who works as "the sound guy" for Home Made Simple, and many other television shows. As the sound guy, Ry listens to people all day long.
Listening, as you'll know, if you've ever had a conversation is a skill employed by few. It is said that hearing is when information reaches your ears, while listening is when the same information reaches your brain. Ryan takes listening to a new level in his line of work; listening to the tone of your voice as well as the words, from determining whether your shirt is scratching your mic, to whether there is a loud bird or plane flying over while you speak (which will make it hard to edit).
I remember once, Ryan was completely out of sight while I'm was prepping for a scene and getting annoyed with a grill. He suddenly appeared (and fixed it). Another time, I was getting frustrated, and tried to masked it as we all do. Ryan heard it in my voice; he sought me out to make sure I was okay.
While listening, Ry picked up that I like to cook. A year ago, he told me stories of foraging for morels in April, back in his home state of Kansas, and I sat rapt with jealousy. This year he remembered, and sent me a big packages of the lovely little behives. Not only does he listen, he remembers.
He sent me the package on the condition that I'd send him some recipes, which I did, picking favorites from around the web (see list below). But now I was faced with a quandry. He sent me morels for 6 to 8 people, and I didn't have a soul to cook for. It's Easter weekend, everyone's traveling. I scored the sweetest fungal package in the city (at present, morels are retaling for over $60 per pound); I couldn't let them go to waste.
I was telling a chef friend about the score, and he wimpered a bit. He casually mentioned that they were his favorite mushroom, and waxed poetic about the things he would do with them. "I'd treat them with the respect they deserve, pairing them with a duck confit, no, crispy sweetbreads, no BOTH! And then, then I'd make the tangiest, brightest Hollandaise to dress them. I'd have my pastry chef make her incredible Armenian flatbread which we'll throw on the grill to get nicely charred..."
Ach, I was torn. These were my morels. Mine. And I could keep them all to myself like a gollum, or I could share them with my friend, who in turn would share them with all of Brooklyn, treating them in a way only a restaurant chef could (Sweetbreads? Homemade Armenian flat bread? Thinking about the prep time alone fatigues me.)
So I relinquished and regifted. My chef friend treated me to dinner at the bar: a salad, a glass of wine and the special: Grilled Armenian Flatbread with Duck Confit, Morels, Wilted Arugula, and Sweetbreads, drizzled with Hollandaise. It was insanely indulgent; a one way ticket to gout. I took a picture of the thing, to send to my Morel Man.
And then a Park Slope mom and her son sat next to me, regulars who were studying the menu. I couldn't help myself; I gushed about the special. But the son doesn't like morels. I looked at this 12-year-old, bellied up to the bar 9:30PM on a Friday to have yet another incredible urban sophisticate meal with his mom: this was a kid of privelage, and I had a hunch he was on the cool side. I told him about the morels, and how they were foraged by a friend of mine in Kansas. Did he think he might reconsider? He was willing; I gave him a wink.
The special lasted about 5 minutes on his plate (and it was not exactly a small portion). He loved it, and is rethinking toadstools. I gave him the contact information for my favorite local forager.
A young man who heard me, listened, and opened his mind. Not bad for a Park Slope kid; listening is not just for Kansans anymore.
Morel Recipes
As I mentioned, the flatbread is not for preparing at home. It's a restaurant dish. But if you can score some pizza dough from your favorite local pizza place grill it, saute some morels and throw them on top, shred some duck confit and do the same, saute some sweetbreads cut them into big pillowy pieces, wilt some arugula, and drizzle the whole damn thing with a nice lemony Hollandaise, you'll be close. Or you can take three ingredients (morels, duck, arugula), toss them with pasta, make a little brown butter sauce and add the zest of a lemon, you'll have a delicious, simple, homemade morel dish.
For additional morel recipes, here are the ones I recommended to my Sound Ry:
This recipe is easy and fatty-delicious:
Asparagus with Cream on Brioche
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/105005
Another simple delicious one (do as little as possible to the brown wonders…just pair them!). Or you can use these ingredients and fold them into a frittata.
Morel, Ham and Brie Omelet.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/1656
Simple pasta:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/11924
Simple sauce. Can use with pork or chicken:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/233415
Morel Vinaigrette? I always trust (and love) Bobby Flay’s recipes. It’s also recommended to top grilled Salmon: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_29213,00.html?rsrc=search
Listening, as you'll know, if you've ever had a conversation is a skill employed by few. It is said that hearing is when information reaches your ears, while listening is when the same information reaches your brain. Ryan takes listening to a new level in his line of work; listening to the tone of your voice as well as the words, from determining whether your shirt is scratching your mic, to whether there is a loud bird or plane flying over while you speak (which will make it hard to edit).
I remember once, Ryan was completely out of sight while I'm was prepping for a scene and getting annoyed with a grill. He suddenly appeared (and fixed it). Another time, I was getting frustrated, and tried to masked it as we all do. Ryan heard it in my voice; he sought me out to make sure I was okay.
While listening, Ry picked up that I like to cook. A year ago, he told me stories of foraging for morels in April, back in his home state of Kansas, and I sat rapt with jealousy. This year he remembered, and sent me a big packages of the lovely little behives. Not only does he listen, he remembers.
He sent me the package on the condition that I'd send him some recipes, which I did, picking favorites from around the web (see list below). But now I was faced with a quandry. He sent me morels for 6 to 8 people, and I didn't have a soul to cook for. It's Easter weekend, everyone's traveling. I scored the sweetest fungal package in the city (at present, morels are retaling for over $60 per pound); I couldn't let them go to waste.
I was telling a chef friend about the score, and he wimpered a bit. He casually mentioned that they were his favorite mushroom, and waxed poetic about the things he would do with them. "I'd treat them with the respect they deserve, pairing them with a duck confit, no, crispy sweetbreads, no BOTH! And then, then I'd make the tangiest, brightest Hollandaise to dress them. I'd have my pastry chef make her incredible Armenian flatbread which we'll throw on the grill to get nicely charred..."
Ach, I was torn. These were my morels. Mine. And I could keep them all to myself like a gollum, or I could share them with my friend, who in turn would share them with all of Brooklyn, treating them in a way only a restaurant chef could (Sweetbreads? Homemade Armenian flat bread? Thinking about the prep time alone fatigues me.)
So I relinquished and regifted. My chef friend treated me to dinner at the bar: a salad, a glass of wine and the special: Grilled Armenian Flatbread with Duck Confit, Morels, Wilted Arugula, and Sweetbreads, drizzled with Hollandaise. It was insanely indulgent; a one way ticket to gout. I took a picture of the thing, to send to my Morel Man.
And then a Park Slope mom and her son sat next to me, regulars who were studying the menu. I couldn't help myself; I gushed about the special. But the son doesn't like morels. I looked at this 12-year-old, bellied up to the bar 9:30PM on a Friday to have yet another incredible urban sophisticate meal with his mom: this was a kid of privelage, and I had a hunch he was on the cool side. I told him about the morels, and how they were foraged by a friend of mine in Kansas. Did he think he might reconsider? He was willing; I gave him a wink.
The special lasted about 5 minutes on his plate (and it was not exactly a small portion). He loved it, and is rethinking toadstools. I gave him the contact information for my favorite local forager.
A young man who heard me, listened, and opened his mind. Not bad for a Park Slope kid; listening is not just for Kansans anymore.
Morel Recipes
As I mentioned, the flatbread is not for preparing at home. It's a restaurant dish. But if you can score some pizza dough from your favorite local pizza place grill it, saute some morels and throw them on top, shred some duck confit and do the same, saute some sweetbreads cut them into big pillowy pieces, wilt some arugula, and drizzle the whole damn thing with a nice lemony Hollandaise, you'll be close. Or you can take three ingredients (morels, duck, arugula), toss them with pasta, make a little brown butter sauce and add the zest of a lemon, you'll have a delicious, simple, homemade morel dish.
For additional morel recipes, here are the ones I recommended to my Sound Ry:
This recipe is easy and fatty-delicious:
Asparagus with Cream on Brioche
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/105005
Another simple delicious one (do as little as possible to the brown wonders…just pair them!). Or you can use these ingredients and fold them into a frittata.
Morel, Ham and Brie Omelet.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/1656
Simple pasta:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/11924
Simple sauce. Can use with pork or chicken:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/233415
Morel Vinaigrette? I always trust (and love) Bobby Flay’s recipes. It’s also recommended to top grilled Salmon: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_29213,00.html?rsrc=search
posted by Allison Fishman Task at 3:47 PM
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