For The Love Of Morel Mushrooms

By Phillip Speciale

These veal scaloppini with morel mushrooms and morel risotto recipes will surely delight your family and guests. You just can’t get enough of these tasty little mushrooms. Yes, I am a morel mushroom junkie. Spending my rent money just to get my weekly fix would not be unusual. OK, not really, but I like them a whole lot.

Spring is almost here and this is the best time for morel mushroom hunting. Unfortunately it hasn’t started for me here in Chicago. Unlike thousands of people each year who actually go into the woods searching for these mushrooms, I hunt for my mushrooms at Amazon or on Ebay. Which I enjoy very much. Ebay and Amazon are my best friends.

All through the winter there are people waiting in anticipation for spring to hunt down these delectable little morsels. Not often do you find entire web sites devoted to fungi. You can actually visit the Morel Mushroom Hunting Club at www.morelmushroomhunting.com or www.thegreatmorel.com for more information regarding the adventures of morel hunting. If you live the areas where morel mushroom hunting is common, these sites will be most helpful.

And let’s not forget the National Morel Mushroom Festival in Boyne City, Michigan or the festival in Muscota, Wisconsin, the self acclaimed capital of morel mushrooms. Here you will find great entries being made, songs being sung and recipes being exchanged.

If you’re not lucky enough to be able to go on a hunt like me, just shop online like I do. You can get fresh morels shipped to you overnight when in season or you can purchase them dried and use them throughout the year, if you are willing to pay the price. Don’t be surprised to pay ten dollars an ounce for these delicacies. Once you try them you’ll be hooked.

So here's my veal scaloppini and morel risotto recipes for you to enjoy.

INGREDIENTS

Veal Scaloppini

# 6 slices of veal cutlets, about 1 pound
# 1/2 cup of flour
# 1/2 of a cup of chopped green onions
# 2 cloves of garlic chopped
# 1/2 cup of chopped parsley
# 3/4 of a cup of small dried morel mushrooms reconstituted
# 1/2 cup of Marsala wine
# 1/2 cup of chicken broth
# 3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream
# 2 Tbls of butter
# 2 Tbls of extra virgin olive oil
# 1/4 tsp of salt
# 1/4 tsp of fresh ground black pepper

PREPARATION

# Place the veal between two sheets of wax paper and pound thin with a mallet.
# Season veal with salt and pepper.
# Dredge veal in flour.
# Place 1 Tbls of butter and 1 Tbls of oil in a large skillet and sauté veal 2 minutes on each side.
# Remove veal and set aside.
# Add the other tablespoon of oil and butter to the skillet and sauté garlic and onions for I minute.
# Add mushrooms and sauté another minute.
# Add wine and chicken broth and bring to boil and reduce liquid to about half.
# Stir in whipping cream.

To serve, plate veal and top with the creamy morel mushroom sauce.
NOTE: To reconstitute mushrooms soak in warm water for about thirty minutes. Drain liquid and dry the mushrooms thoroughly.

Morel Risotto

INGREDIENTS

# 1 cup of small dried morel mushrooms reconstituted and cut in quarters
# 1 medium sized yellow onion chopped
# 2 cloves of garlic chopped
# 4 Tbls of butter
# 6 cups of chicken stock
# 1/2 cup of Marsala wine
# 2 and 1/2 cups of arborio rice
# 1/2 cups of freshly grated parmesan cheese
# 1/4 tsp salt
# 1/4 tsp of freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

# Pour broth in a medium size saucepan and heat to a simmer.
# In a slightly larger saucepan add the butter and sauté the garlic and onions for about 1 minute.
# Add rice and mix well coating the rice with the butter.
# Stir in the wine until it has evaporated.
# Stir in mushrooms.
# Add broth 2 cup at a time and stir until broth has been absorbed.
# Repeat until all the broth is used.
# When rice is tender mix in parmesan cheese.

Serve the risotto on the side with the scaloppini. Simply delicious. Mangia! Veal and risotto will serve 4 to six people.

Phil has been cooking and creating Italian dishes ever since the age of ten. His passion and love for Italian food is never ending. Visit him at http://www.great-chicago-italian-recipes.com for more family favorites.

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