Brown Butter Hen of the Woods Pappardelle

Wild mushroom pappardelle with brown butter, sage, pecorino, and a raw egg yolk. This is one of my favorite times of year and also one of my favorite wild mushrooms - Hen of the Woods, or Sheepshead, or Maitake, Grifola frondosa. They’re easy to miss if you don’t know what to look for. They resemble the fallen leaves of the oak tree in which they like to grow under. I was pleasantly surprised today to find two perfect hens a little earlier than I was expecting. This could be substituted for any of your favorite mushrooms, but I personally love how the meatiness of the Hen of the Woods stands up against the heft of the pappardelle.

Pappardelle

Ingredients

450 g 00 Flour

250 g eggs (beaten before mixing)

*Portioned for 5 - 6 people

Directions

1. Dump out the weighed flour onto a clean work surface.

2. Use your hand to form a well (like a volcano) in the center of the flour.

3. Carefully pour your eggs into the center and begin slowly mixing together with a fork. Gradually, carefully, work your way all around to incorporate the eggs with the flour, without breaking the outer wall.

4. After about 5 - 10 minutes it will start coming together into a shaggy mass. Begin using your hands to knead the dough together. Work diligently for another 5 minutes until it is no longer shaggy.

5. Use the edges of your hands, knuckles, to work the dough until it starts to form a smooth ball. Roll it, applying pressure, into the work surface. Fold it. Roll it again. After about ten minutes it should be a smooth, and ready to rest.

6. Cut the dough into two and wrap each in plastic wrap. Set into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

7. The following steps revolve around using a pasta attachment on a Kitchenaid - but you could also do this by hand with a rolling pin. Remove one of the dough balls, unwrap, and cut off a portion of the dough. Lightly flour and cover the rest back with plastic. Press gently and form a rectangle.

8. Pass the dough through the sheet pasta attachment at it’s widest setting. If it feels sticky, add a little more flour. Gradually tighten the settings of the pasta attachment, one click at a time, and pass the pasta sheet through until it is light and delicate. For pappardelle, I normally go to the 5th setting.

9. Allow the sheet of dough (sfoglia) to dry for 2-3 minutes and fold in half. With a knife, trim off irregular edges. Gently fold the dough into about 3 inch folds, over and over until you have a nice compact roll.

10. Using your knife, carefully begin cutting strips of the roll into about 3/4 - 1 inch (1.9 - 2.5 cm) pieces. I like my pappardelle nice and wide. With your fingers, unroll each strip and sprinkle with a light coating of semolina. You can make little nests with each batch that is finished. Repeat until all of your dough has transformed unto tagliatelle.

11. Cook right away or store in the fridge covered with a towel.

The Pasta

Ingredients

Wild mushrooms thinly sliced (.5 lb or 250 g)

Butter (1 stick or 120 g)

Garlic (3 cloves finely minced)

Pecorino romano

Black pepper

Sage

Egg

Pasta Water

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

2. Bring a large skillet to medium heat.

3. Add the thinly sliced mushrooms to the pan and dry saute for a few minutes, stirring frequently and careful not to burn. This will remove some of the water weigh of the mushrooms before you add the fat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Stir again.

4. Add in the butter and bring to a low simmer, continuing to stir.

5. Add the sage and garlic, continue to saute and stir for another ten minutes until the mushrooms are completely cooked through and tender.

6. Meanwhile, cook your pasta to your liking and be sure to reserve a little pasta water to lubricate the noodles if necessary.

7. Drain the pasta, and transfer the noodles directly into the pan with the mushrooms and browned butter. Toss well so all the noodles are completely covered in the sauce. Add pasta water (or any extra browned butter) as necessary if it feels too dry.

8. Plate each dish with the pappardelle and mushrooms. Create a small well in the middle of each plate for the egg yolk.

9. Very carefully, crack and egg and discard of the egg white. Gently place an egg yolk in the middle of each plate without breaking it.

10. Add a generous sprinkle of freshly grated pecorino to each plate, along with black pepper to taste.

11. Enjoy!

Pappardelle with Rabbit Ragu

This is a deep and decadent ragu that is a perfect accompaniment to big fat pappardelle noodles. Video of the process below.

Ingredients:

1 whole rabbit

¼ cup chopped bacon or pancetta 

1 onion (diced)

3 cloves garlic (minced)

½ cup thinly chopped celery

½ cup thinly chopped carrots

8 oz tomato paste

12 oz canned tomatoes (crushed) 

½ cup red wine

2 cups hot broth

1 tbsp herbs de provence

1. Break down the rabbit into 6 pieces. Hind legs, forelegs, and split the body into two. Season with salt and pepper. 

2. Brown the meat on all sides in a deep pot. Set aside. 

3.  Cook the bacon for a few minutes to begin rendering the fat.

4. Add the garlic, onions, celery, and carrots and cook on medium/low for another few minutes until softened.

5. Add the tomato paste, herbs de provence, and mix together until well incorporated.

6. Pour in your red wine and cook for another few minutes. 

7. Add the hot broth, and tomatoes and bring up to a low simmer.

8. Add the browned rabbit back into the pot, partially cover, and simmer for 1.5 hours - turning the meat every 15 minutes and stirring the sauce so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. If the sauce feels like it’s getting too thick add a little more hot broth to thin it out.

9. Remove the meat when tender and allow to cool. Turn off the heat. 

10. Shred the meat from the bones and pull apart into small pieces. Add the shredded meat back into the ragu and stir together. 

11. Serve right away or refrigerate the sauce until mealtime. Can be kept in the fridge for a few days. 

12. When serving, generously coat the noodles with the ragu by tossing in a bowl. Top each plate with a generous amount of freshly grated parmesan cheese. 

The pappardelle recipe was straight from Evan Funke of Felix. I highly recommend his book American Sfoglino: A Master Class in Homemade Pasta.

Video below.