The Best Way to Cook Fresh Morel Mushrooms
Whenever springtime comes, flowers aren’t the only ones sprouting from the ground. Fresh Morel Mushrooms are also growing waiting to be picked, best cooked, and eaten. Also known as the Morchella, they are hard to find. But, their delicious nutty taste and nutritiousness make the hunt very fulfilling.
So, you have Morels in hand. Your next problems… What is the best way to cook fresh Morel Mushrooms? What will I need? What should I do? If that is your current dilemma, then you come to the right place. This article will teach you how.
What You’ll Need
- Morels
- The more plenty the better.
- Cooking oil.
- Any cooking oil will work
- For a more flavorful taste, use Extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
- Butter
- Garlic and onions
- Fine-toothed comb/Toothpick
- Vegetable Brush
- Sharp kitchen knife
- Frying pan
- Stirring spoon
How To Cooking Morel Mushrooms
Selecting The Best Fresh Morel Mushrooms
The best way to cook fresh Morel Mushrooms begins with the selection process. Not all Morels will do. This is definitely the case if you just found them. So when picking your morels, here are some tips you need to consider.
- Select the small morels as much as possible. Bigger morels tend to have a spongy texture which makes them break down easily.
- Avoid Morels that are soft, wet, spongy. This is common because Morels often get soft and rot easily.
- Pick out morels that are fresh, firm, and dry. The drier the better. Any type of moisture can cause a spongy texture. If you find a big Morel with these qualities, you can take them.
- Inspect each Morel for bugs and debris. Worms are also a possibility since they like living in the mushroom caps. If you find one that has few critters and dirt that are easy to remove, keep it. You can always clean them later. But if it is heavily infested, don’t waste your time on it.
- Beware of the poisonous look-alike of the Morchella. To make sure you picked the edible one, cut them open. The true morel has a hollow inside while the poisonous one doesn’t.
Cleaning the Morchella/Morel
If you bought your Morels in a store, cleaning them is easy. You only need to rinse them briefly with cold water. Don’t take too long or you might ruin the texture. But not all of us can afford to buy these expensive medicinal mushrooms. So if you got yours from the wild, you need to allot more time cleaning your Morchella.
Using a fine-toothed comb, pick out the bugs in your Morels. You can also use toothpicks in removing the little critters. For dusting off any debris or dirt, use a small vegetable brush. Once the unpleasant stuff is removed from the Morels, you can now rinse them briefly in cold water. Pat dry them afterward.
Additional Tips:
- For faster removal of bugs, fresh morel mushrooms can be soaked in salt water for an hour. This will not affect the texture but may make them salty
- If you got dried morel mushrooms, this is what you should do.
- Put the Morels in a bowl
- Cover them with warm water. Do not drown them in water. Just add enough water to cover the mushrooms
- Wait until they soften. Softening depends on how big and old they are
Cutting The Mushrooms
After cleaning your Morchellas, it’s time to cut them. The first thing you need to cut off is their hard stem. You may also trim off some hard edges. Then, chop them in halves or quarters, depending on what you preferred or what dish you’re making. Be sure to check if the insides are hollowed. Otherwise, throw it away for it is the poisoned look-alike.
Cooking the Morels
Now it’s time to cook them! The best way to cook fresh morel mushrooms is very simple and easy to do. Here is what you need to do.
- With high heat, warm oil on a frying pan for a few seconds
- Add the Morels and stir them around until the oil coat them
- Set heat to medium-low to sit them for a few minutes until they turn into a nice brown color
- Stir them occasionally to avoid burning them
- Add the chopped garlic and onions
- Stir them until the garlic and onions turned brown
- Add a generous amount of butter and let it melt
- Stir the mix until they are coated in butter
- Then, transfer the mix on a plate to serve
Wrap Up
And that is the best way to cook fresh morel mushrooms. They are both delicious and nutritious. You can also combine this Morel dish with another dish. There are some Morel recipes out there that you can try. Also, other ways to cook Morels. So go ahead and explore.
