Warm Morel and Potato Salad
Serves 4 to 6
Morels are natural partners to spring vegetables, particularly potatoes. You can use three or four small scallions or green onions in place of the chives; if you prefer, replace the sherry vinegar with balsamic vinegar or lemon juice. The caraway seed accents and complements the flavor of morels, a sensory lesson I learned from Jack Czarnecki’s excellent book “A Cook’s Book of Mushrooms: With 100 Recipes for Common and Uncommon Varieties.”
2 pounds creamer new potatoes or fingerling potatoes
6 ounces to 1/2 pound fresh morels, about 18 to 26
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons pure olive oil
About 1/4 teaspoon salt
About 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/4 teaspoon caraway seed, toasted and ground
1/2 small bunch chives, chopped
1. Scrub potatoes and steam them in their jackets until they are tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, clean morels well, trimming tough stems if mushrooms are over 2 inches long. Reserve stems for Wild Mushroom Broth. Slice mushrooms in half lengthwise, or leave them whole if less than an inch long.
3. Heat butter and oil over medium-high heat in a sauté pan large enough to hold mushrooms and potatoes. When butter begins to brown, add morels and reduce heat to medium. Cook mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water, and cook until liquid has evaporated.
4. Add potatoes, and salt lightly. Sprinkle with vinegar and caraway seed, and toss well together. Place in a warm serving dish, and scatter chopped chives over the top. Serve dish immediately.
For more wild mushroom recipes and to learn more about mushrooms, read the original article, “A Feast of Wild Mushrooms.”
