Sautéing in oil over high heat, instead of butter, allows mushrooms to brown without the risk of burning.
A generous pat of butter added toward the end of cooking helps emulsify the stock or water into a rich, creamy sauce.
Soy sauce adds umami depth, while lemon juice brightens the dish up.
Mushrooms, for the most part, make me think of autumn. Except the morel. Likeasparagus,peas,ramps, and fiddleheads, morels are a harbinger of spring, and a welcome earthy counterpoint to the fresh, grassy flavors of those other vernal ingredients. Morels are also easy to prepare and cook, as long as you know a few key pieces of information.
Choosing and Cleaning Morels
As you'll find with a lot of mushrooms, the biggest risk with morels is that they soften and rot. Seek out morels that are fresh, firm, and dry—avoid ones that are either desiccated and shriveled or soft, wet, and spongy.
Large morels are more prone to sponginess, since they're often older and already starting to break down. Smaller morels, as you can see in the photo above, are generally a safer bet, though if you do find beautiful big ones, by all means, grab 'em.
Be sure to check your morels for critters like worms, which often set up residence in the little frilly nooks in the mushrooms' caps—the silky threads they excrete may look like white mold, but it's actually a sign you have some unwanted dinner guests. Morels are wild mushrooms, so it's common to find bugs on or in them. There's no reason to avoid morels with worms (though heavily infested mushrooms might be more trouble than they're worth), as long as you take the time to pick those little visitors out.
You should also inspect the morels for dirt and debris, cleaning them off with a dry pastry brush.
Trimming Morels for Cooking
Start by slicing off the tough/dirty end portion of each stem.
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.
To cook morels, start by searing them in oil over high heat to brown them, just as you would other mushrooms.
The morels will soften and brown. Some recipes have you cook morels from start to finish in butter, but we find that the butter will burn before the morels are sufficiently browned. It's better to brown the mushrooms first, saving the butter for the end.
Then add minced onion,shallots, and/or garlic, lowering the heat to prevent scorching. (If you add these before browning the mushrooms, you risk burning them as the mushrooms sear.)
Add a very generous pat of butter, which will melt and soak into all the little crevices in the morel caps.
I like to add a splash of soy sauce, which pumps up the umami depth, along with some lemon juice, to brighten the whole thing up. A littlestockor water helps emulsify the butter into a creamy, mushroom-y sauce that's just thick enough to both coatandsoak into the morels.
Some green herbs right at the end, like parsley, chervil, or minced chives, add a hit of freshness, and, of course, seasoning with salt and pepper is important. Just make sure to go easy on the salt and taste as you go if you've used soy sauce—it's already brought some saltiness to the mix.
Let's end it there, before I give in to the temptation to make a "morel of the story" joke.
May 2015
Recipe Details
Sautéed Morel Mushrooms
Cook10 mins
Active10 mins
Total10 mins
Serves4to 6 servings
Ingredients
1tablespoon (15ml) vegetable or canola oil
8ounces (225g) morel mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and split in half lengthwise
1/4cup (60ml)homemadeor store-bought low-sodium chicken stock, or water
1tablespoonminced fresh herbs, such as chives, chervil, or parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Heat oil in a large cast iron or stainless steel skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring and tossing occasionally, until well browned, about 4 minutes total.
Reduce heat to medium-high and add shallot and garlic (if using). Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add butter, soy sauce, lemon juice, and chicken stock or water and cook, swirling pan, until liquid reduces and morels are coated in a creamy sauce, about 1 minute. Stir in herbs, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
Never eat raw or undercooked morels, and avoid eating them when consuming alcohol, as morels contain small amounts of hydrazine toxins. These are destroyed when cooked, but can still cause issues in people with a sensitivity to mushrooms.
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.
To cook morels, start by searing them in oil over high heat to brown them, just as you would other mushrooms. The morels will soften and brown. Some recipes have you cook morels from start to finish in butter, but we find that the butter will burn before the morels are sufficiently browned.
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.
Maxwell said morels may naturally contain a type of hydrazine — a chemical often used in pesticides or rocket fuel that can cause cancer — which can affect people differently.
Look at each morel closely, and leave behind any that are soft and mushy. Don't worry about worms, as there will always be worms, but you will thwart them, my friend. If you see a patch of fuzzy white stuff in one of the 'shroomy crevices, don't worry about that either, as it's not mold but the sign of a worm.
😅 For certain mushrooms, like Morels and Oysters, a *short* soak in water/saltwater is not going to harm their texture and will quickly draw out/kill bugs and larvae that may be inside. I would not suggest more than a couple tablespoons of salt per few cups of water, as the mushrooms may become too salty.
For the best results, cook small batches (only in a single layer) in a dry skillet for five minutes, and turn them a few times until they're golden brown and tender. Remove one batch, then replace with the next until you have all the morels tender.
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.
A word of caution: Morels contain small amounts of hydrazine, an inorganic compound that is highly poisonous. Cooking removes the toxin, so never eat them raw — you could damage your liver or worse.
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.
This time she lets them soak for 20 minutes before removing the mushrooms and rinsing them in a colander. Once cleaned, she'll wrap them in paper towels and rotate the mushrooms to ensure drying. After they're thoroughly dry, which takes about 5 to 10 minutes, the morels are ready for cooking.
There are several reasons why morel mushrooms are so expensive. Firstly, they are difficult to find and harvest, as they grow wild and are often located in remote areas. Secondly, the growing season for morel mushrooms is relatively short, typically only a few weeks in the spring.
Previous reports have described gastrointestinal illness after consumption of morels, which were consumed raw or cooked to varying degrees, as well as neurologic symptoms, including cerebellar effects, and, in some cases, death (3–6).
Morel mushrooms, or just morels, are a type of wild mushroom with an earthy, nutty flavor. They have a meaty texture, unlike the more slimy texture of other mushroom varieties. These mushrooms are a highly desired ingredient among chefs and mushroom enthusiasts.
The most common example is the ink cap mushroom, Coprinopsis atramentaria. When consumed along with alcohol, a poisonous mushroom results in “disulfiram” syndrome and later leads to a myocardial attack.
However, morels can cause human illness if the proper identification, storage, and preparation steps are not taken. An outbreak of gastrointestinal (GI) illness occurred in Montana in the spring of 2023, when 51 people got sick after eating raw or only partially cooked morels at a restaurant.
These elusive and expensive mushrooms are only grown in the wild, making them a hot commodity among chefs and mushroom enthusiasts alike. Each spring, foragers (aka mushroom hunters) hit the wilderness to harvest these decadent mushrooms for use in fancy restaurants or to sell at local farmers' markets.
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