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Fresh Morels with Apples & Butter Noodles

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Sauteed fresh morel mushrooms with Granny Smith apples, asparagus tips, and butter noodles flambed with Calvados. A spring-foraged dish with chipotle heat and watercress garnish.

YIELD

4 servings

PREP

20 min

COOK

10 min

READY

30 min

This dish is a celebration of morel season, the few weeks each spring when the most prized wild mushroom in North America emerges from the forest floor. Morels have a deeply earthy, almost meaty flavor with a faint nuttiness that no cultivated mushroom can match. Pairing them with Granny Smith apples sounds unconventional but works brilliantly. The apple’s tart crispness cuts through the richness of butter and morels, and the julienned skin-on apples almost mimic noodles in texture. The dried chipotle is the inspired wild card. Smoke and gentle heat complement the woodsy mushrooms in a way black pepper alone can’t. The Calvados flambe is the showstopper, but it serves a real purpose: burning off the alcohol concentrates the apple-brandy flavor into the sauce. Asparagus tips and butter noodles round it out into a substantial meal, while a handful of peppery watercress on top adds the fresh, slightly bitter green note that ties everything to spring.

Pro Tips

  • Clean morels by tapping them gently and brushing with a soft brush. Morels are hollow and trap dirt; rinsing fills them with water and ruins the saute.
  • If using dried morels, rehydrate in warm water for 30 minutes and save the soaking liquid for the sauce.
  • Have all ingredients prepped before starting. The dish moves fast and there’s no time to chop mid-cook.
  • Tilt the pan away from you when adding Calvados and use a long match to ignite. Stand back and let the flame burn off completely.
  • Season at the end. The vegetable stock and butter noodles already contribute salt; oversalting early ruins the dish.

Variations

  • Substitute chanterelles, porcini, or shiitake mushrooms when morels aren’t in season.
  • Use brandy or apple cider in place of Calvados.
  • Add a splash of cream at the end for a richer, more luxurious sauce.

Ingredients

6 90
TABLESPOONS ML BUTTER
1 453.6
POUND G MUSHROOMS, MOREL
sliced if large *
½ 118
CUP ML SHALLOT
minced *
3 3
EACH EACH GRANNY SMITH APPLE
cored, julienned with skin attached
1 1
EACH EACH CHIPOTLE CHILI PEPPER
dry, minced *
1 15
TABLESPOON ML ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
¼ 59
½ 118
½ 226.8
POUND G ASPARAGUS
fresh, tips
½ 226.8
POUND G NOODLE
butter
1 5
TEASPOON ML BLACK PEPPERCORN
cracked
1
X SALT
to taste *
½ 118
CUP ML WATERCRESS
or baby mustard greens

Directions

In a hot pan clarify butter, add mushrooms and sauté 2 minutes.

Add shallots sauté for 2 minutes.

Add apples, chipotle and flour, sauté 2 minutes.

Add calvados and flambe.

Add stock and bring to a boil.

Add asparagus, stir, add pasta, cook 3 minutes.

Add black peppercorns, and salt, toss.

Serve garnished with greens.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 267g (9.4 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 298 56% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 18g 28%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 62mg 21%
Sodium 128mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 10%
Dietary Fiber 3g 13%
Sugars g
Protein 9g
Vitamin A 24% Vitamin C 15%
Calcium 4% Iron 13%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Trans-fat Free, Good source of fiber, Low Sodium
 

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