| | Ingredients: - 1/2 pound fiddleheads, cleaned (link)
- 1/2 pound "baby" pattypan squash, trimmed
- 1/2 pound baby carrots, trimmed
- 3/4 cup shelled fresh peas
- 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
- 1/2 pound pearl onions, blanched in boiling water for 1 minute, peeled, and trimmed
- 2 thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 pound fresh morels, cleaned and trimmed and sliced
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
Boil the fiddleheads in salted water for 4 minutes, or until they are crisp-tender. Drain and plunge in ice water to stop the cooking. When cool, drain in a colander. Repeat the process of boiling and cooling with the squash and the carrots. Boil the peas for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they are just tender, and drain them. In a large heavy skillet combine 2 tablespoons of the butter, the onions, the thyme, the bay leaf and 1/4 cup of the broth and simmer the mixture, covered, for 5 minutes. Add the morels and 1/2 cup of the remaining broth and simmer the mixture, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the morels are tender. Add the fiddleheads, the squash, the carrots, and the remaining 1/4 cup broth and simmer the mixture, covered, for 1 minute. Add the peas, the parsley, the mint, and the garlic and simmer, covered, for 1 minute. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, stirring until the butter is just melted. Discard the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Serves 6 |