Sautéed Morel Mushrooms Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you have to soak morel mushrooms before cooking? ›

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.

So, what's the best way to eat morels? My favorite way is simply to sauté them with a bit of butter, shallots, red wine and a splash of heavy cream.

“Most people are totally insensitive to morels, but there are some folks who are sensitive, and especially if you enjoy a glass of wine or cold beer with their Morel, that has a tendency to release some things in the morels that some people react to,” says Riesselman. Riesselman says morels are safe to eat.

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.

First, place your mushrooms in a tightly sealed plastic bag, making sure to suck out all the air. Let them sit there for a while, and the worms and larvae will seek out fresh air, crawling away from the morels like tiny adventurers.

Morels are a delicacy with many uses; fried, stuffed and baked, added to sauces, sauted, stir fried and many other uses. The dried morel reconstitutes very well, coming back to it's original form very well. It takes 7 pounds of fresh morels to make 1 pound of dried.

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.

Sauté morel mushrooms about five minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

An investigation into this outbreak found that consumption of morels at the restaurant was strongly associated with GI illness. Consumption of raw morels was more strongly associated with illness than was consumption of partially cooked morels, although even partially cooked morels were associated with illness.

How to tell if morels are bad? ›

Note the discoloration and decaying taking place along the stem and just under the cap. You also should be able to see the moldy white creaming texture setting in. This type of decay is not an uncommon trait on the yellow morels – another indication the morel is a bit sickly.

“False morels” are toxic and should not be consumed, cooked or uncooked. Gyromitrin is a toxin found in some varieties of false morel mushrooms and it has been linked to several cases of mushroom poisoning and can be fatal even in relatively small amounts.

Trimming Morels for Cooking

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.

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.

The Best Way to Wash Mushrooms

Yes, folks, you can indeed wash your mushrooms. The critical step is to wait to wash them until right before you cook with them so they don't get bogged down with water. After giving the mushrooms a rinse, dry them off, and you're ready to cook.

It is best to cook the clean morels right away, but you can keep them in the refrigerator as long as one day.

Start by soaking dried morels in milk for about 20 minutes or until pliable. While your mushrooms are soaking, heat up a cast iron skillet on medium-high with a glug of oil to coat the pan. I like avocado or safflower oil but anything with a high smoke point will do.

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. 5. To clean fresh morels: Fill a large bowl with cool water—enough so the morels float. Pour a good amount of Morton salt in the bowl and swish the mushrooms around gently.