Morel Custard in Truffled Mushroom Consommé

Yield: eight appetizer portions

Equipment required: large sauce pan, cutting board, chef’s knife, wooden spoon, rubber spatula, measuring cups, food processor, large bowl, whisk or mixer, medium bowl, wire strainer, eight aluminum molds, roasting pan, tea towel, tin foil.
Ingredients:
For the consommé
2 quarts chicken stock
2 quarts water
3 lbs minced Portobello mushrooms
1 cup minced celery
2 cups minced onions
2 cups minced carrots
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lb very finely minced or food processor mushrooms
6 soft peak egg whites

For the custard:
2 cups milk
1 cup rehydrated, cleaned, minced morels
½ cup reduced, strained morel water
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

6 egg yolks
3 whole eggs
8 well-buttered moulds

Garnish on site
Truffle oil
4 thinly sliced radish
20 small chervil sprigs

Method:
For the consommé, bring to a boil and turn down immediately to gentle simmer stock, water, portobellos, celery, onion and carrot for 2–3 hours, till reduced by 50%. Strain, then strain through cheesecloth. Cool. Return to clean pan.
For the raft, fold soft peak egg whites into mushroom mush.
Fold mushroom mush into cooled stock. Place over medium heat. Whish stock till mushroom well incorporated. Stir occasionally. As it is coming to a scald lower the heat and cook very low for 30 – 40 minutes.
Remove from heat. Make a hole in the raft. Let sit half an hour. Ladle through cheesecloth.

For the custard heat and steep milk, hydrated, minced morels, morel water, salt and pepper.
Whisk eggs and yolks. Add morel milk, whisking. Pour into well-buttered molds.
Place in 325-degree oven. Bake covered in water bath for 10–12 minutes.

Thinly slice radishes on mandolin. Sprig chervil.

To serve, reheat the custards in 350-degree oven to warm through about eight minutes till warmed through. Reheat the consommé.
Place custard mold upside down in bowl. Tap lightly to release custard. Ladle consommé over. Garnish with sliced radish, chervil and drizzle a teaspoon of truffle oil over each bowl.

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