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Morel Sauce

Create an exquisite, restaurant-quality mushroom sauce at home
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: sauces
Cuisine: French
Calories: 80

Ingredients
 

Morels
  • 50 g Dried morels
  • 450 g Cold water
Morel Sauce
  • 170 g Rehydrated morels or fresh morels
  • 50 g Cremini mushrooms chopped
  • 25 g Butter
  • 40 g Shallots minced
  • 1 each Garlic clove crushed
  • 1 each Fresh thyme sprig
  • 300 g Morel water
  • 200 g Chicken stock Recipe
  • 150 g Heavy cream
Slurry (optional)
  • 15 g Madera or ruby port or stock
  • 8 g Corn starch

Equipment

  • 1 Sautoir
  • 2 bowls
  • 3 deli containers
  • 1 Sieve
  • 1 Wooden spoon
  • 1 Funnel
  • 1 Coffee filter

Method
 

Morels / Gucchi / Morilles
  1. While fresh wild morels are a prized spring delicacy in France, their dried counterparts offer year-round luxury and typically originate from renowned growing regions like Chile and South America. When selecting dried morels, quality is key. Opt for “special” grade—indicating the stems have been removed—as the stems contribute little flavor compared to the richly aromatic caps. Proper preparation unlocks their deep, earthy essence.
    Note that wild raw morels are toxic and must always be cooked thoroughly before eating (≈15 minutes). Dried and rehydrated morels are less toxic, but they still must be cooked before consumption.
    dried wild mushrooms
Preparing Morels
  1. A small handful of dried morels is surprisingly potent. Their intense fragrance elevates everything from simple rice and pasta, to dishes featuring eggs, poultry, meats, and braised vegetables, making them a versatile treasure in the kitchen.
    chicken breast with morel sauce
  2. When rehydrated, 50 grams of dried morels yields approximately 170 grams of morels ready for cooking. Rehydrate morels overnight in the refrigerator using just enough cold water to cover. Stir them in, and cover with plastic wrap.
  3. To drain the rehydrated morels, gently lift them from the water without disturbing the bowl so the grit stays at the bottom. Save the soaking liquid, but leave the sediment behind.
  4. While dried morels are typically cleaned, this extra precaution is advised, especially in a restaurant setting. Finally, strain the mushroom broth through a coffee filter placed in a funnel. This reserved soaking liquid becomes a powerful culinary essence for sauces and broths. If you see grit settled at the bottom of the soaking bowl, give the drained morels a quick rinse.
Morel Sauce
  1. Melt butter in a sauté pan. Add thyme and crushed garlic, shallots and sweat the chopped cremini mushrooms over medium heat for about 4 minutes. At this point, you can add a splash of alcohol to the pan, such as Chardonnay, port, cognac, or vermouth.
  2. Pour in the reserved mushroom liquid and chicken stock, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and reduce the liquid by two-third.
  3. Strain the reduced mushroom mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, firmly pressing on the solids to extract all the liquid.
  4. Pour the liquid back to the pan along with the drained morels, and bring back to boil. Pour in the heavy cream and continue to cook for approximately 20 minutes stirring every so often on medium-low heat.
  5. Add more salt and pepper to taste. A splash of vin jaune may also be added, if desired. The sauce shouldn't be overly thick. Swirl in a couple knobs of butter right before serving.
Pro Tip
  1. If the sauce is too thick, add more stock. If too thin, create a slurry by mixing cornstarch with a small amount of Madera, stock or cold water. Whisk this gradually into the simmering sauce until it reaches your desired consistency.