Roasted Prawns With Morels And Morel Butter Recipes

ROASTED ASPARAGUS AND MOREL MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Arrange asparagus and mushrooms on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt; toss to coat. Roast, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add butter and thyme. Toss to coat, and roast an additional 5 minutes.
• Arrange vegetables on a serving platter. Top with arugula, sprinkle with salt, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

ROASTED PRAWNS WITH MORELS AND MOREL BUTTER

Steps:

• Finely chop enough fresh morels or reconstituted morels to measure 1/2 cup (packed); reserve remaining morels. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup shallots and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add chopped morels and thyme; sauté 2 minutes. If using dried morels, add reserved soaking liquid to skillet, leaving any sediment behind. Increase heat; boil until almost all liquid evaporates, about 8 minutes. Transfer morel mixture to small bowl; cool. Mix remaining 7 tablespoons butter into morel mixture. Season lightly with salt and pepper. (Morel butter can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Using scissors, cut along back shell of each prawn all the way up to tail, exposing vein; pull out vein. Turn prawns over. Using small sharp knife and starting just below tail end, butterfly each prawn by cutting 1/4-inch-deep slit to opposite end. Place prawns, shell side down, on rimmed baking sheet. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover; chill.)
• Preheat oven to 500°F. Melt 2 tablespoons morel butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1/2 cup shallots; sauté until golden, about 3 minutes. Add remaining whole fresh morels or reconstituted morels and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes.
• Meanwhile, spread 1 teaspoon morel butter over each giant prawn (or 1/4 teaspoon over each of 24 large prawns). Roast just until prawns are opaque in center, about 7 minutes for giant prawns or 4 minutes for large prawns. Top prawns with remaining morel butter, dividing equally. Return to oven just long enough to melt butter slightly, about 10 seconds.
• Transfer prawns to plates. Serve sautéed morels alongside.
• *If using dried morels: Bring 3 cups water to boil in medium saucepan. Add dried morels. Remove from heat. Cover; let steep 1 hour. Using slotted spoon, transfer morels to bowl. Reserve soaking liquid.

ROAST PHEASANT WITH MORELS

Steps:

• Two days in advance, place the unwrapped pheasant on a rack in the refrigerator with a plate underneath. Allow to air-dry, turning occasionally.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. If they are gritty, rinse the morels quickly under running water and dry with paper towels. Slice the tops and stems. Soften the shallots in one tablespoon of butter in a skillet and add the morels. Cook over high heat until the liquid evaporates. Chop the liver and heart and briefly saute. Set aside.
• Insert the remaining butter and the tarragon under the pheasant breast skin, distributing it as evenly as possible. Fill the cavity with the morel mixture, season to taste and truss.
• Place the pheasant on its side in a roasting pan and roast for 10 minutes, basting when you do so. Turn on the other side and roast a further 10 minutes. Then turn the pheasant breast up and finish cooking until it is tender, about 45 minutes to an hour.
• Place the pheasant on a warm serving dish. Skim the fat from the roasting juices and add the stock. Bring to boil and simmer until reduced by half. Meanwhile, remove the morels from the pheasant cavity. Add them to the stock and simmer for 30 seconds. Pour into a heated sauce boat and serve separately.