This elegant dish from Garrison sous-chef Maureen Quinn -- the winner of the Food section’s 2016 Sous-Chef Challenge -- was designed to highlight the competition's star ingredient as well as other vegetables of spring. From the chef: "As the saying goes, if it grows together, it goes together."
Of course, if spring’s fresh morels are hard to come by or too expensive, you could substitute a different kind of mushroom, and regular leeks are always a good substitute for baby leeks or spring onions. We also tested this recipe with 1 ounce of dried morels, rehydrated in very hot water for a few minutes, which worked fine.
Poaching the morels in the vinaigrette is meant to invoke a pickled mushroom flavor to balance the smokiness of the grilled asparagus. A puree of trimmings adds a nice, creamy richness to the dish. If your puree seems thin or you'd like it to look greener, toss a handful of baby spinach leaves into the blender and puree until smooth.
The asparagus can be done on an outdoor grill as well.
The vinaigrette and puree can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
From Maureen Quinn, executive sous-chef at Garrison in the District. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this recipe called for 1 cup of oil; the chef has since adjusted that amount to 2/3 cup. The number of servings now reflects the range from side dish to main course.
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Ingredients
measuring cupServings: 4-6
For the asparagus
For the vinaigrette and puree
Directions
Step 1
For the asparagus: Heat a large cast-iron pan or grill pan. Trim off and discard 1 1/2 to 2 inches from the bottom of each asparagus spear.
Step 2
Toss the asparagus spears lightly with a little oil, then season lightly with salt and pepper. Working in batches as needed, cook the asparagus in the pan until lightly charred, just until crisp-tender. (Thin asparagus don't need to be turned.) Let cool.
Step 3
For the vinaigrette and puree: Trim off and reserve the green parts of the spring onions. Thinly slice the remaining spring onions. Trim both ends of the morels and reserve the trimmings; cut the remaining morels crosswise into 1/2-inch slices.
Step 4
Heat all but a tablespoon or two of the cup of oil in a medium saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the morel slices and cook for a few minutes, until warmed through. Stir in the sliced spring onions; cook until they are just slightly softened yet still have some texture, adjusting the heat to make sure they do not pick up any color.
Step 5
Add the vinegar (to taste); cook for about 10 minutes, then turn off the heat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir so the mixture is well blended.
Step 6
Fill a bowl with ice and cold water. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green spring onion trimmings and cook for a minute or two, just until their color heightens. Then drain and immediately transfer to the ice-water bath to cool. Drain.
Step 7
Combine the blanched green spring onion trimmings, the morel mushroom trimmings and the heavy cream in the same (now empty) pot over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes, until the solids have softened, adjusting the heat as needed to avoid boiling them.
Step 8
Pour off and discard about half of the cream from the pot, then transfer the remaining mixture to a blender. Remove the center knob of the lid and place a towel over the opening. Puree on high speed until smooth and slightly thickened. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Use a flexible spatula to push the puree through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, discarding the solids.
Step 9
When ready to serve, spoon some of the puree onto each plate, then use a palette knife or the back of a spoon to spread it. Arrange the charred asparagus equally on individual plates. Stir the warm vinaigrette with spring onions and morels, then spoon it over the asparagus. If there were any flower petals on the spring onions, use those to garnish each portion.
Step 10
Drizzle with the remaining oil, then season lightly with salt and pepper.
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Nutritional Facts
Per serving (based on 6, using 1/2 cup heavy cream)
Calories
340
Fat
35 g
Saturated Fat
9 g
Carbohydrates
7 g
Sodium
40 mg
Cholesterol
25 mg
Protein
3 g
Fiber
3 g
Sugar
3 g
This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s advice.
From Maureen Quinn, executive sous-chef at Garrison in the District. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this recipe called for 1 cup of oil; the chef has since adjusted that amount to 2/3 cup. The number of servings now reflects the range from side dish to main course.
Tested by Bonnie S. Benwick.
Published April 24, 2016
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