Silly question, indeed… but I ask this as yesterday we were contemplating whether the snow was going to accumulate to the inch that the weathermen had promised! The rest of the week seems to be cooperating with the season’s expectations though, so hopefully we will be seeing our vases full of spring flowers and our salads full of ramps soon enough!
Despite the looming gray skies of past, some precious gems did turn up at the market the other day! I found fresh morels, baby carrots in a rainbow of colors, baby golden and red beets, and fiddlehead ferns. I used all of the vegetables in delicate preparations, as their individual flavors were the focus(es) of the meal! I roasted the carrots and beets with just a hint of garlic and olive oil; and sauteed the fiddleheads (blanching them first) in a little oil and just added a sprinkling of sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. The morels were sauteed and then finished in a pan sauce for the buffalo rib eye steaks we cooked that night. They offered a deliciously earthy component to the whole meal and at least for that evening – we certainly did believe that Spring had Sprung!
Buffalo Ribeye Steaks with Morel Pan Sauce
3 8oz Buffalo Ribeye Steaks (my source was D’Artagnan)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, sliced thinly
1/2 lb fresh morels – large ones cut in half
1 6oz container of veal demi glace (my source was D’Artagnan)
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 1/2 tablespoons softened butter
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons chopped chives
Preheat your oven to 425F. Salt and pepper the steaks and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium sized saute pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until softened, about 4 minutes – try not to brown them. Add the morels and saute with the onions. The morels will give off liquid – saute until the morels are not giving off anymore liquid. Add the demi glace and simmer on low.
Heat a large saute pan on medium high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Sear the steaks on both sides – about one and a half minutes on each side, do not exceed 3 minutes total. Transfer the steaks to a baking sheet and place in the oven for 4 minutes, until medium rare. Remove the steaks onto a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, empty the shallot/morel/demi glace mixture into the large saute pan and maintain the medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer. Add the wine and simmer for another couple minutes. Mix the butter and flour together into a paste. Add to the sauce and whisk until the sauce begins to thicken. Stir in the chives and take off heat.
Slice the steaks thinly and serve with the pan sauce. This serves my family of 4 with a little bit leftover – we had this with our melange of spring vegetables.