Morel Gratin Recipes

CLASSIC POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking dish, and set aside.
• Whisk together cream, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the nutmeg in a small bowl, and set aside. Toss potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.
• Arrange one-third of potatoes in buttered dish, overlapping slices. Sprinkle with one-third of the cheese. Repeat two more times with remaining potatoes and cheese (end with a cheese layer). Pour reserved cream mixture over top layer. Gently shake dish back and forth to distribute evenly.
• Cover with foil; bake 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake until bubbling and well browned, about 30 minutes more. Let cool slightly before serving.

LEEK, POTATO, AND MOREL GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a 2 1/2-quart baking dish. Bring cream, broth, morels, and green garlic to a simmer.
• Assemble the gratin: Peel potatoes, and cut crosswise into slices slightly thicker than 1/8 inch. Layer potatoes in dish, overlapping slightly. Spread half the leeks over top, and season with salt. Pour half the cream mixture over top. Repeat.
• Cover gratin with foil, and bake 40 minutes. Uncover, and bake until potatoes are tender and golden and most of the liquid is absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes more. Let cool 15 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle with lemon zest.

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.

POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel potatoes, and place in a bowl of water to prevent discoloring. Rub inside of a 9-by-12-inch oval baking dish with cut sides of garlic. Heat cream, milk, nutmeg, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat until bubbles form around edge. Season with pepper. Remove from heat.
• Meanwhile, slice potatoes 1/8 inch thick; transfer to a bowl. Pour warm cream mixture over top. Mix well, using your hands to separate and coat potatoes, and transfer to prepared dish. Gently push potatoes down, and pour cream mixture from bowl over top. Sprinkle with Gruyere. Bake (with a baking sheet placed on the rack below to catch drips) until potatoes are fork tender and top is bubbling and brown, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

CREAMY SCALLOPED POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rub the bottom and sides of a 3-quart baking dish with garlic; reserve garlic. Brush pan generously with butter. Peel potatoes, then cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds.
• Transfer potatoes and garlic to a large pot with cream, milk, thyme, 1 tablespoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 1 minute. Let cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
• Spoon one-third of potato mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle with one-third of cheese. Repeat layering twice more. Loosely cover dish with parchment-lined foil.
• Bake until potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove foil; turn oven to broil. Broil until potatoes are bubbly and browned in places, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

MOREL GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Melt the butter in a medium-size cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the morels and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in the cream and Cognac and simmer for 5 minutes longer. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and place under the broiler until browned. Divide among 4 plates and serve immediately.