Chilean Morels in Cream — Morillas a la Crema with Pisco

Versión en Español

Chilean morels in cream, or morillas a la crema, are dried morels soaked for 12 hours, cooked slowly with butter softened onion until their liquid evaporates, then simmered with their soaking liquid and cream, finished with a splash of pisco and lemon peel, and topped with chives. They take 15 minutes of preparation plus 12 hours of soaking and 20 minutes of cooking, and serve 4.

Morels are prized wild mushrooms with a deep flavor and delicate texture, ideal with pasta, rice, or on their own.

How to Make Morels in Cream?

The morels are rehydrated and cooked slowly in a wide pan with gently cooked onion so they release and evaporate their water, then the soaking liquid and cream make a smooth sauce.

Nutritional Information

Each serving of morels in cream contains approximately 210 kcal, 6 g of protein, 18 g of total fat (11 g of saturated fat), 45 mg of cholesterol, 4 g of carbohydrates, 1 g of sugars, and 120 mg of sodium. These values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.

Homemade Chilean Morels in Cream Recipe

Preparation: 15 minutes (plus 12 hours soaking)
Cooking: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 100 g of dried morels
• 1 medium onion
• 200 ml (¾ cup + 1 tablespoon) of heavy cream
• 200 ml (¾ cup + 1 tablespoon) of morel soaking liquid
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 splash of Chilean pisco
• Lemon peel
• Fresh chives, chopped
• Fine salt
• Black pepper

Instructions

1. Soak the morels in cold water for 12 hours, changing the water if needed to remove impurities. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid, which is full of flavor and goes into the sauce.

2. Finely chop the onion. Melt the butter in a wide, shallow pan so the morels do not crowd or break. Cook the onion over very low heat with a pinch of salt until soft and translucent.

3. Add the drained morels and cook over very low heat for about 10 minutes so they slowly release their water and it evaporates, concentrating their juices.

4. Add about 200 ml of the soaking liquid and reduce a little. Pour in the cream and stir gently, keeping the heat low so the sauce thickens without boiling hard, for 5 minutes.

5. Add the splash of pisco and the lemon peel and cook 2 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper, remove the lemon peel, and sprinkle with chopped chives before serving.

Additional Tips

Fresh morels

Clean fresh morels with a brush or damp cloth, rinse quickly, and dry them right away.

Soak in cold filtered water

Cold filtered water preserves their aroma and gives a cleaner soaking liquid.

Stuff them

Their hollow interior is perfect for filling with prawns or soft cheese for an elegant appetizer.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What do I serve with morels in cream?

Pasta, rice, or as a sauce for white meats and mild fish.

2. Why cook them slowly?

About 10 minutes over low heat lets the morels release their water and concentrate their juices before the cream goes in.

3. Can I stuff morels?

Yes, their natural hollow is ideal for prawns or soft cheese.

4. Which herb works best?

Chopped fresh chives, whose mild onion flavor does not mask the mushroom.

Origin of Morels in Chile

Morels are part of the culinary tradition of southern Chile, where damp forests favor them. Cooking them in cream is a modern adaptation of a technique popular in European fine dining.

Did You Know?

Morels have a characteristic hollow interior that makes them ideal for stuffing.

Recommended

• Creamy Morel Mushroom Sauce Recipe
• Chilean Wild Mushroom Risotto Recipe
• Chilean Garlic Mojo Recipe
• Chilean Michemar Recipe