Sautéing in oil over high heat, instead of butter, allows mushrooms to brown without the risk of burning.
A generous pat of butter added toward the end of cooking helps emulsify the stock or water into a rich, creamy sauce.
Soy sauce adds umami depth, while lemon juice brightens the dish up.
Mushrooms, for the most part, make me think of autumn. Except the morel. Likeasparagus,peas,ramps, and fiddleheads, morels are a harbinger of spring, and a welcome earthy counterpoint to the fresh, grassy flavors of those other vernal ingredients. Morels are also easy to prepare and cook, as long as you know a few key pieces of information.
Choosing and Cleaning Morels
As you'll find with a lot of mushrooms, the biggest risk with morels is that they soften and rot. Seek out morels that are fresh, firm, and dry—avoid ones that are either desiccated and shriveled or soft, wet, and spongy.
Large morels are more prone to sponginess, since they're often older and already starting to break down. Smaller morels, as you can see in the photo above, are generally a safer bet, though if you do find beautiful big ones, by all means, grab 'em.
Be sure to check your morels for critters like worms, which often set up residence in the little frilly nooks in the mushrooms' caps—the silky threads they excrete may look like white mold, but it's actually a sign you have some unwanted dinner guests. Morels are wild mushrooms, so it's common to find bugs on or in them. There's no reason to avoid morels with worms (though heavily infested mushrooms might be more trouble than they're worth), as long as you take the time to pick those little visitors out.
You should also inspect the morels for dirt and debris, cleaning them off with a dry pastry brush.
Trimming Morels for Cooking
Start by slicing off the tough/dirty end portion of each stem.
Then slice the morels in half lengthwise. You'll notice that they're hollow inside. I usually leave them halved, though you're free to quarter them lengthwise, or divide them even more if they're particularly large.
To cook morels, start by searing them in oil over high heat to brown them, just as you would other mushrooms.
The morels will soften and brown. Some recipes have you cook morels from start to finish in butter, but we find that the butter will burn before the morels are sufficiently browned. It's better to brown the mushrooms first, saving the butter for the end.
Then add minced onion,shallots, and/or garlic, lowering the heat to prevent scorching. (If you add these before browning the mushrooms, you risk burning them as the mushrooms sear.)
Add a very generous pat of butter, which will melt and soak into all the little crevices in the morel caps.
I like to add a splash of soy sauce, which pumps up the umami depth, along with some lemon juice, to brighten the whole thing up. A littlestockor water helps emulsify the butter into a creamy, mushroom-y sauce that's just thick enough to both coatandsoak into the morels.
Some green herbs right at the end, like parsley, chervil, or minced chives, add a hit of freshness, and, of course, seasoning with salt and pepper is important. Just make sure to go easy on the salt and taste as you go if you've used soy sauce—it's already brought some saltiness to the mix.
Let's end it there, before I give in to the temptation to make a "morel of the story" joke.
May 2015
Recipe Details
Sautéed Morel Mushrooms
Cook10 mins
Active10 mins
Total10 mins
Serves4to 6 servings
Ingredients
1tablespoon (15ml) vegetable or canola oil
8ounces (225g) morel mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and split in half lengthwise
1/4cup (60ml)homemadeor store-bought low-sodium chicken stock, or water
1tablespoonminced fresh herbs, such as chives, chervil, or parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Heat oil in a large cast iron or stainless steel skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring and tossing occasionally, until well browned, about 4 minutes total.
Reduce heat to medium-high and add shallot and garlic (if using). Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add butter, soy sauce, lemon juice, and chicken stock or water and cook, swirling pan, until liquid reduces and morels are coated in a creamy sauce, about 1 minute. Stir in herbs, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
For the best results, cook small batches (only in a single layer) in a dry skillet for five minutes, and turn them a few times until they're golden brown and tender. Remove one batch, then replace with the next until you have all the morels tender. Season as desired.
While a soak isn't necessary, it is a good way to clean morels and make sure that there's no dirt or bugs in any of the crevices. The best way to soak morels is to place them in a bowl of lightly salted water for about five minutes. Once the soak is done, be sure to thoroughly pat the morels dry.
Myth: Don't eat Morels and drink alcohol. -- Truth: Morels do not contain any toxins that interact with alcohol, in our experience. While some toxic events that implicated Morchella spp. ALSO involved alcohol, the majority did not, and the symptoms were the same.
From there, pan fry or deep fry morel mushrooms in hot oil (about 325–350 degrees) until done. Mushrooms are done once the coating is a nice golden brown, which should take about 5-10 minutes. Dip in your favorite fried morel dipping sauce (my favorite is Yum Yum) or enjoy by themselves!
It is best to cut the morel with a knife an inch or less of the stem. The stem is totally edible and delicious, it is simply not industry standard to have a very long stem and the longer you go the more likely it will be dirty, sandy, gritty. If you pluck, your mushroom will be dirty and frayed.
Because these mushrooms have so many nooks and crannies (in which small ants have been known to hide) the best method is a quick soak in salted water, agitating the mushrooms gently. This will loosen up any grit. Whatever you do, don't let your morels soak up too much water. They're no good soggy.
Morels usually emerge in the spring in woodlands after adequate rainfall. When harvesting, pinch or cut the stem just above the soil to leave the base of the mushroom in the soil. Correctly identify the mushroom you pick and plan to eat to avoid consuming poisonous look-alikes, such as the “false” morel.
Resist the urge to hoard your morels; they are best eaten within four days of picking them. 4. Keep them fresh in a brown bag or a bowl with a damp paper towel over them in the fridge—if you don't use them in five days, they're history.
Now it is time to use a bit of water. Put the morels in a large bowl of cold water (or a clean sink full of cold water) and quickly swish the morels around. The swishing is to help loosen any remaining dirt in the mushrooms, so if you can see the dirt coming off, keep going until you don't.
Morel mushrooms are generally considered safe to eat, but they may contain some toxins that can cause health problems. The toxins in morel mushrooms that may cause illness are not fully understood; however, using proper preparation procedures, such as cooking can help to reduce toxin levels.
Look at each morel closely, and leave behind any that are soft and mushy. Don't worry about worms, as there will always be worms, but you will thwart them, my friend. If you see a patch of fuzzy white stuff in one of the 'shroomy crevices, don't worry about that either, as it's not mold but the sign of a worm.
Maxwell said morels may naturally contain a type of hydrazine — a chemical often used in pesticides or rocket fuel that can cause cancer — which can affect people differently.
Fresh morels will smell slightly funky and "woodsy." If foraging, simply pluck the mushrooms from the ground by pinching at the base of the stem and twisting gently. They should come right out of the earth. Store your morels loose, in the refrigerator, in a container with plenty of ventilation.
"Morels should be cooked thoroughly before consumption because cooking is likely to reduce toxin levels present in the mushrooms," the report's authors said.
This depends on where you live. In the Deep South, start in March and end sooner. If you're in the Mid-South or Midwest, hunt for morels in April through May. For the upper Midwest and Northeast, May through June is ideal mushroom hunting season.
The consumption of raw morels in particular is advised against. An unknown toxin, possibly hydrazine in small amounts, can be neutralized via cooking. Additionally, cooked morels can reportedly cause symptoms of upset stomach when consumed with alcohol.
Soak the Morels in the hot salt water for about 4 minutes. Everyone will tell you that you need to soak them overnight, but don't believe them. This step is intended to kill and remove the bugs from the mushrooms. There are no forest bugs that can survive under hot salt water for 4 minutes.
To prepare morels, clean them with cold water and dry quickly before they soak up the water. Then, slice them up and cook them however you choose — keep in mind morels shouldn't be eaten raw as they can cause stomach cramps. It's best to cook morels simply so you can truly savor their flavor.
Look for days when the temperature is around 60 degrees and night temps are around 40 degrees. With these conditions, soil temps are typically in the 45-55 degree range. The day after a nice spring rain also can produce great morel results.
Introduction: My name is Velia Krajcik, I am a handsome, clean, lucky, gleaming, magnificent, proud, glorious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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