Morels with Scallops and Asparagus

Last week I received an email from Marxfoods.com soliciting a mushroom recipe for their contest. The winner received 2 pounds of fresh morel mushrooms. Obviously I was not the winner but this is the winning recipe.

Morels with Scallops and Asparagus

Submitted by Albert Casciero

Ingredients:

8 large fresh Scallops

36 Morels, depending on their size

12 Asparagus spears

1 teaspoon diced shallot

6 oz. heavy cream

1/2 cup butter

salt and pepper

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Directions:

Brush clean the morels, slice them length wise or leave whole depending on size.Clean the asparagus, peeling the lower part is desired.Dust the scallops lightly with flour. Steam or boil the asparagus to “al dente” consistency. You may wish to sauté them slightly in butter before serving On a sautéing pan, melt the butter, put in the shallot and sauté for about 1 min. Add the morels and toss to coat them well with butter, (depending on the freshness of the mushroom, you may want to add some more butter, now or at the end, to have sufficient sauce for the asparagus).Add the scallops and sauté about a minute on each side. (Make sure not to overcook them). Then add the cream, cover the pan and cook for about 4 minutes, turning the scallops once. Watch carefully not to overcook the scallops and if necessary add more cream and butter. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve on a hot plate, napping the asparagus with sauce.

TIP* I soak morels in a salt water solution for about one hour to kill any insects that might remain in the morels rather than brushing the delicate morels. They are Spring’s flavors at its best. Enjoy it!