HAM WITH A CREAM SAUCE AND MORELS
(JAMBON AUX MORILLES)

by Leona Lochet


For your dining pleasure, here is the recipe for the Jambon aux morilles (Ham steak with morels).

HAM WITH A CREAM SAUCE AND MORELS
(JAMBON AUX MORILLES)

    1 smoked cooked ham mirepoix*
    2-1/2 cups Madeira
    2 cups heavy cream
    2 large shallots
    1 cup morels butter

(1) Place the cooked smoked ham in a braising pan with 2 1/2 cups of Madeira wine [1] and the mirepoix.

(2) Cover with a lid and bake in the oven for 1-1/2 hour at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

(3) When the ham is braised drain the liquid from the pan.

(4) Reduce this liquid by 2/3 and add 2 cups of heavy cream (not yogurt!).

(5) Strain and reduce the resulting sauce again by 1/3. Keep warm.

(6) Finely dice two large shallots and cook them in a small pan with butter. When the shallots are cooked (they must not be brown) add 1 cup of morels [2] cut in small slices and cook for about 5 minutes.

(7) Immediately add the shallots-morels mixture to the reduced cream sauce.

(8) Place the ham on a large oval platter and serve with the sauce. It's delicious. Bon appetit.

*Mirepoix is a mixture of 2 small carrots (5 oz. or 150 grams), s 1/2 cup (100 grams) of onions and 1/4 of a cup (50 grams) of celery very finely diced.

Serve the ham with fresh spinach or peas with carrots which are the recommended vegetables for that dish (the vegetables blend very nicely with the sauce. A white wine is de rigeur (i.e., mandatory!). A Montrachet [3] will be all right if you can afford it, but for the more modest pocketbook, a good California Chardonnay is recommended.

[1] It is imperative to use the real Madeira wine from Madeira since, unfortunately, the so-called Madeira from California falls very short of the typical original Madeira flavor which is quite distinct.
[2] Morels are very special mushrooms looking like a small sponge with a unique flavor, so, do not substitute other mushrooms for morels. Morels are difficult to find in supermarkets but the dried variety is available from gourmet shops such as Zabar in New York or Macy's Cellar, etc. If dry morels are used they must be soaked in warm water for about 45 minutes. Be sure to change the water several time to get ride of the sand and rinse well before using.
[3] Of course there are the more affordable white Burgundies, like the Chassagne-Montrachet or Puligny-Montrachet, etc. There is nothing wrong with a good Pouilly-Fuisse either.


More Leona's Corner: Napoleon's return from Elba

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