Of all the mushrooms one can find in Ireland, morels must be the most elusive. Perhaps they don’t like the west of Ireland. I only once found one when I was out foraging. The season for morels takes place from February to April, which is unusual as it is outside the regular mushroom season. They seem to abound in Cork, or at least down south.
Ballyhoura Mushrooms (ballyhouramushrooms.ie) sell them at the Limerick Milk Market every Saturday morning and throughout Munster via NeighbourFood markets.
Morels pair well with chicken and white wine. Their robust meatiness makes them a king among mushrooms for many chefs and their place in classical French cooking is undisputed. This can be perceived in the price they command, which is often €100 a kilo.
For my money, Garryhinch mushrooms (garryhinchmushrooms.ie), especially their maitake (also known as hen of the woods) mushroom, packs an equivalent punch and they are considerably cheaper. However, you can use any mushroom for the recipe below (even truffles). Indeed, a packet of dried mushroom can easily be rehydrated, and the leftover liquid used in lieu of the chicken stock.
How to make chicken and mushroom pie
Heat 25g of butter and a little light olive oil in a shallow casserole dish. Add one finely diced onion, 200g of sliced mushrooms, a bay leaf, and a sprig of fresh thyme. Once the mushrooms are soft, sprinkle in a tablespoon of flour. After a minute, add 100ml of white wine and 200ml of chicken stock. Bring to the boil and then add 200ml of cream and six skinless boneless and diced chicken thighs. Allow the chicken to cook and the sauce to thicken.
Heat your oven to 200 degrees. Roll out a block of ready-made puff pastry (375g) and drape over the filling. Tuck in the edges so that the pastry is snug and brush the top with an egg yolk and season with flaky sea salt and rosemary sprigs. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Allow to rest for five minutes before serving.
