Morels
Cooking Tips
- Morels should always be thoroughly cooked in order to evaporate a natural toxin they contain.
- Soak in salt water for 15 minutes to drive out any critters that may be hiding in the ridges.
- Drain morels, then dip in egg and dredge in bread crumbs or flour with salt and pepper and pan fry in butter (a lot of butter).
- Saute in butter with garlic until lightly browned. Remove from pan and deglaze the pan with white wine. Reduce by half, then return the morels with freshly chopped parsley. Heat through and serve.
Details
Morel hunting is like a religion for many across the country, and Wisconsin is no exception, with ‘shroom hunters preparing mentally and physically weeks in advance. Morels are picky growers, appearing for a few weeks in spring and only under the right conditions. Some say look under dead elms; some say look on the south slopes of hills. But honestly, they could be anywhere...the elusive little buggers.
Morels are yellow or yellow with black ridges and they are always hollow. On most morels, the cap is longer than the stem. Beware of poisonous false morels, which have a similar but darker colored wrinkled cap. Their cap is often shorter than the stem, and they are not hollow. False morels also tend to be deformed and ugly-looking, while true morels are fairly symmetrical. If in doubt, don’t pick it. When you do find a patch of good-looking morels, pinch the ‘shroom off just above the ground and place in a cotton bag.
Nutrition: Morels are mostly water and have little nutrition. However, they are delicious!
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