Morels and Broad Beans
This is a simple but rich spring recipe that combines the earthy quality of morels with the bright sweetness of broad beans (favas). Small broad beans don't need to be individually peeled; if you're using larger ones or older ones (with brownish papery pods), blanch the shelled beans in boiling water for about a minute, then grasp them by the furrowed ends and slip them out of their skins.
Credit: Christopher Hirsheimer
INGREDIENTS
3 lbs. small fresh fava beans in the podSalt, to taste
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
12–15 fresh medium morels, cleaned and halved or quartered lengthwise
1 tbsp. crème fraîche
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Remove fava beans from pods (don't peel favas) and rinse under cold running water. Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.2. Add favas to boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until just soft, 5–8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add morels and gently cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 3–4 minutes. Stir in crème fraîche, then stir in favas, season to taste with salt, and cook until favas are heated through, 1–2 minutes.
the name of the article is "simple weeknight meals"???
SO, how simple is it to get FRESH MORELS? I live in an area where we can forage for them and they AREe wonderful...That time is usually 2 weeks (if we're lucky) in the spring, AFTER a rain, AND on a sunny warm afternoon, NOT TOO WARM, mind you, AND if you know when some dead oak trees might be.... of course you might be lucky enough to buy them. (NOT! ) I saw them ONCE at a local market, ONLY $40 per lb!
I think it would be "simpler" to teach my cat to sniff out truffles.
don't even suggest dried morels, either. don't even get me started on finding fresh fava beans either!
As for the recipe, you can always substitute another mushroom with a similar flavor profile. If the 'gourmet' mushrooms are expensive at your market, try the baby bellas, or go to a local asian market, where the 'gourmet' mushrooms are usually a lot less expensive.