Edible mushrooms can be a very rewarding treat. The morel mushroom is just one example of the more delicious ones and one that works great as an appetizer. Learning how to fry morel mushrooms is a great introduction to the species.
Although all mushroom lovers enjoy eating morels, each person’s preparation can differ based on their individual preferences.
Despite these differences, there is a general guideline for how to cook and prepare morels. This article will show you how to fry morel mushrooms.
Finding, Cleaning, and Preparing Your Morels
Before you begin cooking your morels, you will need to properly prepare them first. Although morels are already edible, they may still be harmful if taken straight from the wild. Even store-bought morels will need to be thoroughly washed before use.
Finding Your Morels
Before telling you how to fry morel mushrooms, you’ll need to find some first. Finding morels in the wild can be a very fun and exciting experience, especially if you’re experienced at hunting for them. Morels are quite difficult to cultivate, making them rare to find in shops. This means more people hunt for them personally.
When foraging for morels, springtime is the best season to find them. Morels are mycorrhizal mushrooms, which means that they can be found living at the roots of trees or plants.
Keep in mind that you might not always find morels in groups, the mushroom growing alone. But do look around the tree or area where you find one morel to discover more.
Morels vary significantly in size, ranging from the size of your thumb to that of your palm. Size is irrelevant in terms of flavor with morels. The better ones tend to be firm and dry rather than soft and spongy.
Large morels are usually more mature, often too soggy by the time they reach this stage of maturity. If you happen to find a small one that hits the mark, then it is recommended to go for those instead.
Cleaning Your Morels
Before learning how to fry morel mushrooms, you’ll need to clean them. If you purchased yours from the store, simply wash them by running each one under some cold water. If you struck gold and found some in the wild, they will require a little more than just washing.
First, you need to check the morel cap for a honeycomb appearance. The cap will contain many small compartments or holes.
These can make the perfect home or shelter for many small bugs. Always check these holes to make sure they are free from insects and other nuisances. Unless you want an extra hit of protein, be sure to check each opening carefully.
One way to easily clear your morel caps of dirt and infestation is by submerging them into a bowl of salted water. The salt will kill off any small bugs while the water will wash off the dirt.
Take care not to leave them in the water for too long. The mushrooms will get too soggy and lose some of their flavor and nutrients.
Don’t forget that morels are hollow inside, so living things such as ants may be lurking deep inside them. Make sure to check the insides as well.
Preparing Your Morels
Finally, after successfully hunting and cleaning your morels, it is time to prepare them for cooking. By this stage, your morels should be looking quite appealing. All that is left is to do now is a bit of cutting and you will be ready to get cooking.
You want to start by slicing off the bottom tip of your morel stems. This is mostly done because it’s the part of the mushroom that is the dirtiest. It’s the portion of the stem that lives in the dirt.
After you have removed the stem tips, cut each whole morel in half lengthwise. Again, check the hollow insides for persistent little critters.
You may decide to cut your morels into smaller pieces. This is only a matter of personal preference and won’t affect the end result. They are usually good just being cut in half.
The Cooking Stage
When it comes to cooking morel mushrooms, specific recipes will come down to a matter of choice. In this article, we are going to look at frying morel mushrooms, one of the best ways to cook and serve them.
If you are new to cooking with morel mushrooms, then there are plenty of recipes with morel mushrooms online.
Searching the web is the perfect place to get some ideas or new inspiration on how you can get creative with your morels.
How to Fry Morel Mushrooms
Morels are already a delicacy by themselves. Just imagine how more of a mouth-watering treat they can be when fried. To fry them, start with two separate bowls – one for the eggs & milk and the other for the crushed buttery crackers.
The specific amounts of eggs, milk or buttery crackers don’t really matter that much. What is important is the cooking part, so despite the amount of ingredients you use, your morels will still turn out amazing regardless.
Once you have beaten your choice of eggs and milk together, start dipping each morel int the mix. Afterward, thoroughly coat the morel with the buttery crackers before placing them into the cooking pan.
Make sure that you stuff some of those crushed crackers inside the mini compartments to enjoy more taste of that wonderful filling.
When you start cooking, most people use melted butter in the pan, but oil will work too, if that’s what’s available.
Once all of your morels are in the frying pan, it doesn’t take long for them to cook.
This is one of the best things about morels; not only are they delicious, but are also very easy to cook.
The finishing touch
When frying your morels, the best time to take them out of the pan is when they start to turn golden brown. If you prefer more of a crispier and darker appearance, especially along the edges, let them cook a little longer .
If you want to get a little extravagant or add some other flavor-hits, you can add other ingredients into the pan, such as soy sauce or lemon juice. When working with such a delicacy, you can always experiment and see what you like best.
Conclusion
Mushroom fans love the morel mushroom. As a mushroom, it is already very healthy and contains many health benefits, such as giving your immune system a significant boost.
But morels are more renowned for their wonderful and satisfying taste.
Naturally, they taste meaty, earthy, or nutty and give off a very strong and unique smell, especially while being cooked.
Of course, how you choose to cook yours, such as this article on how to fry morel mushrooms, can slightly change the flavor or scent. So, don’t be afraid to experiment and enjoy your morel treats.
There are 5 more delicious ways of cooking Morel mushroom, check out the article HERE.
