I am honored and excited to share with you one of the beautiful recipes from my friend Lisa Golden Schroeder, out of the Untamed Mushroom book. Hop on over to the Rebel of the week post to learn more about Lisa. This recipe sums up the beauty and bounty of the Midwest. Most of you already know that I have a soft spot for all kinds of Trout recipes because they remind me of my younger years. And Morels, well they are just a class on their own. You either love them or hate them, some people cant digest them and I feel sorry for them. For me nothing spells spring more plainly than some fresh harvested morels fried in butter.
Reprinted with Permission from Untamed Mushrooms: From Field to Table by Michael Karns, Dennis Becker and Lisa Golden Schroeder. Published by Minnesota Historical Society Press.
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 cloves unpeeled garlic
1½ teaspoons cumin seed
½ cup packed fresh parsley sprigs
1⁄3 cup packed fresh cilantro sprigs
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground ras el hanout
coarse salt and ground cayenne to taste
1¼ pounds fresh lake trout fillets with skin, cut into 4 pieces
4 ounces fresh morel mushrooms, sliced
spicy microgreens (turnip,broccoli, kohlrabi, kale,purslane, and/or amaranth)
fresh lemon wedges
Heat grill to medium-high heat.
Toast the garlic cloves in a dry medium skillet over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until the skins blacken. Let cool for a few minutes, then squeeze roasted garlic out of their skins. Meanwhile, toast the cumin seed for a few minutes, just until fragrant.
Place the garlic, cumin seed, parsley, cilantro, and 1⁄3 cup oil in a small food processor fitted with the chopping blade. Pulse several times until ingredients begin to blend. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, paprika, and ras el hanout. Process until the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and cayenne. Set aside.
Lightly brush the fish with some of the remaining oil; season with salt and cayenne. Place on the grill; cook about 10 minutes, turning once, or until no longer translucent in the center.
While the fish is cooking, heat the last of the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the morels; season with salt and cayenne. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until tender.
Serve the grilled fish with the morels, sprinkled with some microgreens, with small spoonfuls of the sauce and lemon wedges.
Kitchen Notes:
This herbal, slightly smoky sauce is a variation of chermoula, a lively condiment from North Africa. Look for ras el hanout where specialty dry spice blends are sold; it’s a heady mixture of warm spices like cardamom, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, and coriander. The combination will vary from place to place, sometimes including hot chiles, dried rosebud, fennel seed, fenugreek, or grains of paradise (see page 287). I really like the slightly exotic, sweetish edge it adds to a fresh green herb purée—and it’s luscious with simply grilled fish, especially nice with the richness of the morels. Stash away leftovers in a jar in the fridge for up to two weeks.
You can find the untamed Mushroom book here:
Untamed Mushrooms: From Field to Table – Minnesota Historical Society (mnhs.org)
