Morel Foie Gras Recipes

Steps:

• To prepare the steaks make an incision in the side of the steak 3/4 of the way through, creating a deep pocket in the middle. Season a piece of foie gras and stuff 1 into each steak. Season the outside of each steak with salt and pepper and coat with olive oil. Grill on each side for about 5 minutes for medium rare.
• Morel Sauce: In a saucepan on a hot part of the grill cook the shallots in 2 tablespoons of butter until lightly browned. Add the garlic and morels and cook until the mushrooms start to release some of their liquid. Add the wine and cook until the wine is about 75 percent reduced. Add the broth and thyme and boil until broth is 50 percent reduced. Stir in the butter and season. Ladle over each steak.
• *Fatted duck or goose livers available in specialty food stores.

Steps:

• Heat saute pan over medium heat add butter and sugar and heat until caramel forms. Add vinegar and plums. Cook until slightly thick. Reserve. Heat pan over high heat, slice foie gras 1/4 inch slices, and season with salt and pepper. Add to pan and cook for 1 1/2 minutes on each side. When cooked, place on a paper towel to drain. Place plums on plates and top with foie gras drizzle caramel around plate and serve.

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.

Steps:

• Poussin and garnish: In a large bowl, combine the water and fleur de sel. Soak the poussin in the salted water for 5 to 6 hours. Remove poussin from water, dry off, and add salt and pepper to skin side only.
• Preheat oven to 550 degrees F.
• Heat a saute pan and add the vegetable oil. When the oil is just beginning to smoke, place the poussin skin side down in pan. Place in a 550 degree F oven for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and finish on the stovetop until deep golden brown is achieved. Remove and set aside, do not wash pan.
• Heat the remaining vegetable oil in a saute pan. When the pan is hot, sear the foie gras on both sides. When the fois gras is soft to the touch, remove, and set on a plate. It is very important not to burn the fat of the foie gras, so do not get the pan too hot.
• Deglaze the pan with Armagnac. Combine the veal stock, foie gras, and pan juice and add to the blender. Blend on low speed until foie gras is completely incorporated. Place in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer and season with salt and pepper.
• Remove excess fat from the chicken pan and saute white asparagus and morels in pan. Season with fleur de sel, pepper, and a pinch of chopped tarragon.
• To serve: Place white asparagus and morels on plate, sauce around vegetables, and place poussin on top skin side up.