Foraged Mushroom Cream Sauce with Poached Fish

Ease of Preparation: Easy

Yield: 2 servings

This recipe was originally published in the award-winning cookbook Eat Alberta First by Karen Anderson (TouchWood Editions, 2023). Reprinted here with permission.

You can purchase Eat Alberta First here

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried morels or mixed wild mushrooms
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large shallot, diced
• 2 tablespoons dried sherry
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons dried chives or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, divided
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2x 4-ounce white fish fillets (halibut, cod, ling cod, pickerel) washed and dried
• Pepper, to taste
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme

Method:

1. Place the morels in a large measuring cup and pour in the boiling water to cover them. Let them soak for at least 30 minutes then drain, reserving the water. Strain the water through a fine sieve into a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until reduced to ¼ cup, 10-15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat and cook the shallot until translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the mushrooms, reserved mushroom liquid, sherry, and salt and cook until almost dry, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir half the chives, the thyme, cream, and lemon juice into the mushroom mixture, then make a well in the middle and add the fish. Cover the pan with a lid and poach the fish for 5 minutes per inch of thickness.
5. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt and add pepper to taste.
6. Plate the fish topped with the mushroom mixture.
7. Enjoy over rice, garnished with the remaining chives, lemon zest and a sprig of thyme.