I’ve never been a recipe follower. In fact, until this week the only use I’ve made of my collection of fabulous cookbooks is…ahem, decor. I’m not sure what is causing the shift, but lately I am loving the controlled experimentation of using a recipe to try new dishes. Until last week, this recipe, spotted on my cousin’s blog, would not have received a second thought. However, when I passed through the fungi section of my local (okay, I drive 25 minutes, but it’s worth it!!) Wegman’s and spotted the dried Morels I decided to go for it.
I hadn’t remembered the whole recipe. Just got the mushrooms…oh, and the creme fraiche because I saw them and thought I’d take a swipe at the recipe. I had never heard of morel mushrooms until reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma last year, but Michael Pollan sells them pretty well. Well, when I got home, there was some serious research in order. Clarified butter?? Google. Shallots?? Google. Dredge?? Google. Following recipes is hard work!!
The recipe was a little involved. Not difficult, but I wondered a couple times if all of the preparation was worth it. I stopped wondering once I got to the stage where I could dip a finger into the simmering sauce (I have a very high heat tolerance) and taste. Oh man, I consider myself a lover of fine foods, and this was sensational. Soft and subtle mix of sweet and tangy, creamy but light. I poured it over the chicken, put them in the oven, then used my spatula to scrape the thickened sauce from the edges of the pan. It couldn’t just go down the drain!! Oooh. Then Dave and I sat in semi-delirium, enjoying a lively conversation-all about the food. Again, when cleaning up I couldn’t bear to fill the casserole with wash water before sopping every last drop of sauce with small hunks of crusty sourdough. It is good. You should try it. 
