Forest Fettuccine with Morels and Breast of Pheasant

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AllenOK

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Hah! I had a Pheasant recipe that actually had morels!

Forest Fettuccine with Morels and Breast of Pheasant
Yield: 4 servings

For the Fettuccine:
½ oz dried morels
-or- 2 T Morel powder
¾ c Semolina flour
2 extra-large eggs
2 Extra-large egg yolks
1 T Olive oil
For the Morel Cream Sauce:
18 Dried morels
-or- Fresh, if in season
1 T Butter
2 T Chopped shallots
1 ¾ c Heavy cream
Salt; to taste
White pepper; to taste
Nutmeg; to taste
For the Garnish:
24 Fiddlehead ferns
-or- Asparagus tips
2 T Butter
For the Pheasant:
2 Pheasant breasts, from 3# pheasants, boned, skinned and halved
Salt
White pepper
2 T Butter

Prepare the fettuccine. Clean any soil clinging to the morel stems. Place the mushrooms in a spice mill and grind to a fine powder. Combine the powder with the semolina and all-purpose flours in a food processor and process briefly to blend. Beat the eggs, egg yolks and oil together and, with the motor running, add the mixture to the flours. Process until a neat ball forms on top of the blade, about 45 – 60 seconds. Remove the dough from the machine and knead for a minute on a very lightly floured surface. Pat into a thick cylinder and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
About 1 hour before serving time, cut the dough across into 6 pieces. Knead, stretch, and cut each piece in a pasta machine or by hand. Spread the fettuccine on a tray dusted with semolina. Cover with a towel until cooking time.
Prepare the sauce. Soak the mushrooms in warm water to cover for 5 minutes. (Halve and rinse fresh morels.) Drain the mushrooms, halve them lengthwise and rinse briefly. Cut into small pieces. Heat the butter in a skillet and add the morels and shallots. Cook over low heat until the shallots are tender. Add the cream and simmer, stirring often, until the sauce is lightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt, white pepper and nutmeg to taste. The sauce can be prepared and gently reheated just before serving.
Rub any fuzz from the fiddlehead ferns and trim the tails to leave about ½”. Drop them into boiling salted water and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well. At serving time, heat them through in the butter.
About 20 minutes before serving time, sprinkle the pheasant breasts lightly with salt and white pepper and let them sit at room temperature until you are ready to cook. Heat the butter in a large, heavy skillet. When it foams, add the breasts and brown lightly for about 5 minutes. Turn and cook over moderately low heat until they are nicely browned and barely done in the center, about 5 more minutes. Remove them and let them sit for 5 minutes.
Drop the noodles into a large quantity of boiling salted water. Return to a boil, stirring. Cook about 1 minute, just until tender. Drain them thoroughly and toss with three-quarters of the sauce.
Arrange the fettuccine on 4 serving plates. Slice each pheasant breast in 6 vertical slices and fan over the pasta. Top with the remaining sauce and surround with the fiddlehead ferns.
 
Allen, did you make it with Fiddlehead ferns or asparagus tips? Also is morel powder something that you've seen in shops or that you make yourself by crushing dried morels in with a pestle and mortar? (If so I really like that idea!)

(Decadently luxurious recipe, Allen! :))
 
I haven't made it, as I don't have a source of Pheasant. I would go with either the fiddleheads or the asparagus, whichever is available fresh in season.
 
Thanks Allen :) Do you live near a source of fresh fiddleheads, they are not available everywhere. I think I'd go with the asparagus...I almost wonder if green beans would work too, or if it would throw off the nature of the dish?
 
That's alot of egg for 3/4 cup of flour.Proportions
are generally 1 egg for every cup of flour.

For the Fettuccine:
½ oz dried morels
-or- 2 T Morel powder
¾ c Semolina flour
2 extra-large eggs
2 Extra-large egg yolks
1 T Olive oil
 
ICadvisor said:
Thanks Allen :) Do you live near a source of fresh fiddleheads, they are not available everywhere. I think I'd go with the asparagus...I almost wonder if green beans would work too, or if it would throw off the nature of the dish?

Fiddleheads are only in season a very short time,generally in May,and they don't freeze well which adds to their special appeal.And Allen you could substitute squab or duck easily.Actually any game bird would work really.
 
Yes, that does sound like a lot of egg for that small amount of flour.

Fiddleheads pop up wild around here, as do Morels. I have yet to go looking for Morels, but I know some folks north of here find literally hundreds! I've seen some pictures of Morels over 6" high. And we only get little ones, maybe 1 1/2" high at most, where I work.
 
AllenMI said:
I haven't made it, as I don't have a source of Pheasant. I would go with either the fiddleheads or the asparagus, whichever is available fresh in season.

A lot of people substitute chicken for pheasant... Or maybe other gamebirds.
 
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