That Recipe

Photo by Claude Martz

So you've found some morels, or bought some at your local gourmet store, and they're wilting in the 'fridge waiting for this post. Here goes:

Pizza with Morels in Cream Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/2 to 1 lb (+/-) fresh morels, halved and cut into thumbnail sized chunks (be sure you have enough to cover a 10” circle without spaces)

1 small shallot, diced

4 oz heavy cream

4 oz good parmesan cheese

8 oz San André cheese, cut into 1/4" slices

1/2 tsp GF soy sauce 

1/2 tsp dried oregano

@ 4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided 

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

Salt (to taste)

Pinch of sugar

GF Pizza mix to make one 12” pizza (I prefer Analise Roberts recipe, found in Gluten-Free Baking Classics)

Prepare the pizza crust according to directions. Note that if you modify the instructions and bake the crust only half-way, but directly atop a very hot (550) stone, the results will be far tastier.

1)              Clean morels by brushing - do NOT wash. Slice into pieces.

2)             Place 2 tbls olive oil in large skillet. Sauté shallots over high heat until about 1/2 done – 2 – 5 min. Remove and set aside. Lower heat to medium. Melt 1 tbls butter in pan then add morels. Stir occasionally, allowing mushrooms to barely carmelize on each side. Add cream, soy sauce and the pinch of sugar. Simmer @ 5’. Add parmesan, stir until melted. Salt if needed. Remove from heat.

3)             Brush remaining olive oil on pizza crust and sprinkle with basil. Cover with morels, spreading in an even layer. Place slices of San André atop morels. Return to very hot oven for @ 5’, until cheese runs and bubbles.

4)             Remove from oven and allow to cool just enough to not burn your mouth. Slice with pizza wheel and serve.