White Asparagus Soup With Morels Recipes

CREAMY ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH MOREL MUSHROOMS AND RAMPS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a pan.
• Add ramps and saute until fragrant (about 1-2 minutes).
• Add the asparagus and morel mushrooms. Cover with the broth and season with pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer covered until the asparagus is tender (about 10 minutes).
• Remove from heat and add the cottage cheese and milk. Puree the soup to the desired consistency.
• Return the pan to the stove and bring to a boil.
• Remove pan from heat and mix in the miso.

SAUTé OF WHITE ASPARAGUS, MORELS, AND RAMPS OVER POLENTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
• Snap off the ends of the asparagus (they will break naturally where their toughness begins), and peel the stalks.
• Clean the ramps and prepare the ramps according to the method described on page 33.
• Blanch the asparagus in heavily salted boiling water about 5 minutes, until tender. To test for doneness, take a spear out of the water, cut a small piece off the end, and taste it. (Remember, the spears will continue to cook a little as they cool.) Carefully remove the asparagus to a baking sheet to cool.
• If the morels are large, cut them in half.
• Heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes. (If you don't have a pan that's large enough to hold all of the vegetables, heat two pans and divide ingredients accordingly.) Add 4 tablespoons butter to the pan, and when it foams, scatter the morels into the pan, being careful not to overcrowd them. Sauté the mushrooms 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often. Turn down the heat to medium, and add the thyme, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and a few grindings of pepper. Let the mushrooms cook another 6 to 8 minutes. They should be crispy on the outside, yet still tender. (The amount of cooking time really depends on the mushrooms; sometimes they give off water, which will require a longer cooking time, to allow the water to evaporate and the morels to crisp.)
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the mushrooms, and place the blanched asparagus carefully in the pan. Toss to coat the asparagus in all the mushroomy brown butter, and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the ramps to the pan, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook another 2 minutes, tossing often so all the flavors meld and everything is coated in the butter. Taste for seasoning.
• Spoon the polenta onto a large warm platter. Using tongs, arrange the asparagus and ramps, randomly overlapping them over the polenta. Spoon the morels and all the butter over the top, and scatter the parsley over everything.
• In a heavy-bottomed pot, bring 5 1/2 cups water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil over high heat. Add the polenta slowly, whisking continuously. Turn the heat down to low, and continue cooking for another 20 minutes, whisking often. Add another 1/2 cup water and cook 1 more hour, whisking often and adding 1/2 cup water as needed, about every 20 minutes. The flame should be low, so that the polenta is barely simmering. As you whisk, make sure that you reach the bottom of the pan to prevent the polenta from scorching. I like to use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the pot.
• Whisk in the butter, and taste for seasoning. Even when the polenta is finished, you might sense it thickening up a little. If so, add a little more water and whisk to get the right consistency. If you're not serving right away, cover the pan with plastic wrap to keep the polenta from thickening or losing moisture. If necessary, rewarm over low heat before serving.
• You can blanch the asparagus and ramps a few hours ahead.

ASPARAGUS WITH MOREL MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Put morels, porcinis or both in a bowl with very hot water to cover; soak until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain morels and reserve soaking liquid. Cut morels in half; if porcinis are large, chop them roughly.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; when butter is hot and foam has subsided, add shallots and reconstituted and fresh mushrooms to pan. Cook until shallots soften and fresh mushrooms have released their liquid and it has cooked off, about 10 minutes.
• Add asparagus and 1/2 cup reserved liquid to pan. Bring liquid to a boil, cover, reduce heat so mixture simmers, and continue cooking for another 2 to 4 minutes, or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Add cream and tarragon or chervil and continue cooking, uncovered, until sauce thickens slightly and asparagus is tender, about 4 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

ASPARAGUS WITH MORELS

Steps:

• cook asparagus separately in boiling water or in microwave until tender, 3-5 minutes.
• refresh under cols water.pat dry.
• heat 3 tbsp butter in large skillet, add shallots and cook until softened. add morels and saute 5 minutes more.
• add asparagus, tarragon, salt and pepper and continue cooking until heated through.
• add remaining butter and remove from heat.
• stir in lemon juice and garnish with tarragon.

MOREL AND ASPARAGUS SAUTé D'AOUST

Steps:

• Halve morels lengthwise or quarter if large. In a bowl of cold water briefly wash morels and drain on paper towels. Trim asparagus and diagonally cut into 1-inch-long pieces.
• In a 10-inch heavy skillet heat butter over moderate heat until foam subsides and cook morels, asparagus, and shallot, stirring, until asparagus is barely tender, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle flour over mixture and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, 2 minutes. Add consommé and water and bring to a boil, stirring. Simmer mixture, stirring, 2 minutes and season with salt and pepper.

WHITE ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• In a large soup pot, add the butter and melt it over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until it begins to soften and melt, but not until brown since you want the soup to maintain a light, creamy shade. Add the peeled white asparagus (it is an extremely fibrous vegetable so make sure to peel it before cooking), the broth and the wine. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and simmer until the asparagus is tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let the soup cool for about 5 minutes. Carefully add the soup, in batches, to a blender and puree. Return the soup to the pot over low heat. Add the half-and-half and season with salt and white pepper, to taste. Warm the soup until heated through. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and garnish with chervil before serving.
• In a large soup pot, add the butter and melt it over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until it begins to soften and melt, but not until brown since you want the soup to maintain a light, creamy shade. Add the peeled white asparagus (it is an extremely fibrous vegetable so make sure to peel it before cooking), the broth and the wine. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and simmer until the asparagus is tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let the soup cool for about 5 minutes. Carefully add the soup, in batches, to a blender and puree. Return the soup to the pot over low heat. Add the half-and-half and season with salt and white pepper, to taste. Warm the soup until heated through. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and garnish with chervil before serving.

ASPARAGUS WITH MORELS AND TARRAGON

Steps:

• Cook white and green asparagus separately in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water , uncovered, until just tender, about 5 minutes for white asparagus; about 3 minutes for green asparagus.
• Transfer asparagus with a slotted spoon to a colander and rinse under cold water (to stop cooking), then drain again. Pat dry.
• Heat 3 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté shallots, stirring, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add morels and sauté, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus, tarragon, salt, pepper, and remaining 3 tablespoons butter and sauté, stirring, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Serve immediately.

CREAM OF WHITE ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, over medium heat, sauté onion and garlic in butter for 5 minutes or until translucent.
• Add chicken stock, asparagus tips and stems, potato, thyme, salt and pepper.
• Cover and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer until vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.
• Remove asparagus tips and set aside.
• Allow soup to cool, then put in blender and blend till smooth.
• Return soup to saucepan, add reserved asparagus tips and cream and heat thoroughly.

CREAMY WHITE ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Wash and trim the asparagus and cut into 5 cm pieces, heads reserved.
• Sauté the onion in the butter until it's soft in the soup saucepan. Add the pieces of asparagus (minus the heads) and steam for 5 minutes.
• Add the broth and boil gently for about 30 minutes or until the asparagus is very soft.
• Remove from the heat and puree with a hand-held blender until smooth.
• Put the soup back on the heat, stir in the asparagus tips, bring back to the boil and simmer for at least 5 minutes until the tips have softened.
• Turn down the heat and add the sour cream and white wine. Do not boil. Season with ground black pepper.

WHITE ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH MORELS

Steps:

• Snap off ends of white asparagus. Trim triangular leaves from sides, and peel spears. Cut top 2 inches off spears. Finely slice rest.
• Place tops in saucepan of salted water. Simmer 8 minutes. Add wild asparagus or green tips; simmer 2 minutes. Drain.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in 2-quart saucepan. Add shallot and garlic; sauté over medium-low heat until tender. Do not brown. Remove half of shallot and garlic; set aside. Add sliced asparagus to saucepan, with chicken stock, bay leaf, 2 sprigs thyme and salt and white pepper to taste. Simmer 10 minutes, until asparagus is very soft.
• Put morels in small saucepan. Add 1/2 cup water, reserved shallots, garlic and remaining thyme. Simmer 2 minutes, until water is almost evaporated. Add asparagus tops and wild asparagus or green tips, toss, and season with salt and pepper. Remove thyme.
• Remove herbs from saucepan with sliced asparagus. Add cream and remaining butter. Return to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to blender jar. Blend on very low a few seconds, then blend on highest speed about one minute.
• Divide morels, asparagus tops and wild asparagus or green tips in each of four soup bowls. Pour soup over, and serve. (Soup and garnish can also be chilled and served cold.