Recipes: Morels and Sunchokes in Brown Butter with Toasted Hazelnuts

Updated: May 23, 2007 - 2:43 PM

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Morels and Sunchokes in Brown Butter with Toasted Hazelnuts

Serves 4 to 6.

Sunchokes are also known as Jerusalem artichokes; they appear around the same time as morels. If you do not have enough morels for this recipe, increase the amount of domestic mushrooms.

•¹/₂c. hazelnuts

• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter

•¹/₂lb. cremini or portobella mushrooms, stemmed, rinsed and cut into 1-in. pieces

•¹/₃c. morel mushrooms (if large, cut in half horizontally), rinsed in salt water

•¹/₃lb. sunchokes, peeled and sliced into 1-in. sticks (about 1¹/₄c.)

• Juice of¹/₂lemon OR¹/₄c. dry white wine

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• Lemon wedges for garnish

Directions

Put the nuts on a small baking sheet in a preheated 400-degree oven and roast about 10 to 15 minutes, until the skins begin to turn dark and crack. Remove, roll them in a clean dish towel and rub the skins off. Chop coarsely and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-low heat until it becomes foamy. Just as it begins to brown and smell nutty, add the cremini and the morels and sauté, stirring often, about 1 to 2 minutes. Cover the pan and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, until the cremini are soft and have released their juices. Remove the lid, add the sunchokes and the lemon juice or white wine and continue cooking another 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sunchokes are tender. Sprinkle the chopped hazelnuts over the mushrooms and serve with lemon wedges.