Fried Morel's (Early Season Variety)

OK, I will admit, its not all about the taste. It's about the experience, but they taste pretty damn good too! We like them coated in flour and fried in butter, its the way my family has always done it, its tradition. Grandpa used to say that cardboard would taste good if you rolled it in flour an fried it in butter..... and I think he was probably right. Maybe there are chefs out there that say "poo poo! this is a poor way to prepare this rare delicacy"! (read with french accent) But we never ate them at a fine restaurant, or paid +++ $/lb. We always picked them in the woods and fried them in the kitchen.

Step 1: Ingredients

Morels

Flour

Salt

Pepper

Sense of adventure and love of the great outdoors.

Step 2: The Mysterious Hunt

Oh, by the way if you eat poisonous mushrooms they can kill you so don't eat those. (See list of ingredients: Sense of adventure) This instructable is not on mushroom identification there are sponsored websites out there dedicated to those specifics. Suffice to say, if you are new the the hunt and this instructable inspires you to embark; do your research, find someone who knows and have them check your findings. Its not a matter to be taken lightly. My dad told me a story of a women he knew: Her first husband died from eating poison mushrooms. Then her second husband died from eating poison mushrooms. Then her third husband died. Do you know why? .... "He wouldn't eat his mushrooms!" Like I said; its the experience. There are also hundreds of websites and blogs out there dedicated to how and where to find morels. Near dead elms, near dead ash trees, on southern slopes on well drained soil, when the soil is 50 degrees, when the leaves on the dogwood are the size of of a squirrels ear.... etc. etc. yada yada.

I have searched hundreds of these ideal spots and the only place I ever found them... was where I found them last year, whey I got lucky after many walks in the woods. But the walk is never wasted. you always see something cool, like when I stumbled upon this fawn last week hiding in the brush just like his mother taught him to. or on this old tree covered with another type of fungus, ( I didn't eat those). If you know where they are beforehand you may find the tiny ones. I went back to this spot for 5 days, till it was big enough that i was afraid someone else would find my spot and I had to pick it.

Step 3: Preparation

If you have made it this far CONGRATULATIONS in acquiring this mystical, the mysterious, elusive, camouflaged, fleeting...... FUNGUS.

Split them lengthwise rinse them off, discard anything that is discolored, or just doesn't look right.

Soak them in salt water say a teaspoon per cup, overnight or longer, in the fridge. The salt water will drive away and or kill any small things (bugs), you cannot see. (because its always better to eat dead bugs than live ones).

The water may become discolored after a few days, no big deal, dump and rinse thoroughly before continuing the prep. blot them dry with a paper towel.

Step 4: ... Prep Continued

Put some all purpose flower in a container with a lid, or a zip-lock bag, or a paper bag. Add salt and pepper or other seasoning to taste. Shake it up, dump out the extra flour and shake again, or what ever technique you like to get them thoroughly coated.

By the way this instructable is titled "....early season variety" because the mushrooms are small. They get bigger near the middle of the fleeting season after a nice warm rain. See last pick, Sorry I was not ready to cook this batch yet.

Step 5: Fry Em' Up

Melt some butter in a pan (I suppose you could use margarine as well but its not tradition).

Can't have too much butter. Patiently fry them over medium heat and for Cripes sake don't burn them after all that effort. Flip them over a few times, a good thing about the small ones is they cook more quickly and they are crunchy and that is the way we like them. Tastes may vary. Enjoy, I am sure others out there have comments on how to prep them or what to eat them with. I have had more than one individual say they could not eat morels without a fresh brook trout, whatever I have never happened upon a fresh brook trout while I was hunting mushrooms, maybe someday.

Comments

[simonp862]

I have some growing in my backyard near the wood. the place tend to be very humids and there is lot of them small and big. now i know what to do with them thanks! I have also heard that morels grow in wood that had forest fire.

[Jippyjippy]

The shrooms you found growing on the tree are dryads saddles. Slice a piece and smell them! Just like watermelon rind. They are edible but not near as good as Morels. Great pics!

[JAK99]

Thanks for the info J,

I know there are folks out there that eat other varieties but I have never ventured. Next time I find some dryads ( there is no way i can find my way back to the place I saw those) I will definitely slice and sniff them but I still don't think I will be eating them.

[Jippyjippy]

Always make sure you are sure. Just want to let you know there are no other species that share the characteristics of the dryads saddle. So you could safely try them. Of course not as good as a Morel but tasty if none the less. If they smell like watermelon rind you are safe. They grow frequently on dead elms that are past their prime for Morels. Get a good mushroom identification book and do your homework. That is what I have done and have been able to enjoy some great wild mushrooms.

In the fall is where you need to be careful as there are more chances of confusing good with bad shrooms.

Drop me a line if you have any questions. I am not an expert but I can tell the easy ones that are very delicious!!

Keep on shrooming!!

[Andreiafouto]

this is awesome. I would cook them differently. But this is an awesome instructable with lots of info and good tips. Like ,"cook your shrooms or you'll die" :D . Thanks for this.

[JAK99]

Thanks A

How would you cook them? (Just out of curiosity There is a slim slim chance I could change my ways).

[rafununu]

Morels must be cooked ! Otherwise they are poisonous. I didn't know, I add some unfrozen morels to an omelet, it was very good but I vomited all night. I later checked on Wikipedia.

[JAK99]

Yes they must be cooked. Never really had the desire to eat one raw. We have always cooked them and as far as I know no one in me immediate or extended family has ever been sick from them.

[KickolasNage]

Very informative Instructable. I've always been wanting to try wild morels, and your recipe looks delicious! May have to check for some (very carefully of course.)

[JAK99]

Thanks Kickolas,
It probably could have been much more informative as far as identification and when and where to look but i didnt want to write that essay as many others have done it before me.