Morchella, the true morels, is a genus of edible mushrooms closely related to anatomically simpler cup fungi. These distinctive mushrooms appear honeycomb-like in that the upper portion is composed of a network of ridges with pits between them.

These ascocarps are prized by gourmet cooks, particularly for French cuisine. Commercial value aside, morels are hunted by thousands of people every year simply for their taste and the joy of the hunt.

Morels have been called by many local names, some of the more colorful include dryland fish, due to the fact that when sliced lengthwise then breaded and fried, their outline resembles the shape of a fish; hickory chickens, as they are known in many parts of Kentucky; and merkels or miracles, based on a story of how a mountain family was saved from starvation by eating morels. Other common names for morels include sponge mushroom. Genus Morchella is derived from “morchel,” an old German word for mushroom.

Taxonomy

A cluster of white morels, West Virginia, USA

The fruit bodies of the Morchella are highly polymorphic in appearance, exhibiting variations in shape, color and size; this has contributed to uncertainties regarding taxonomy. Discriminating between the various species is complicated by uncertainty regarding which species are truly biologically distinct. Mushroom hunters refer to them by their color (e.g., gray, yellow, black) as the species are very similar in appearance and vary considerably within species and age of individual. The best known morels are the “yellow morel” or “common morel” (Morchella esculenta); the “white morel” (M. deliciosa); and the “black morel” (M. elata). Other species of true morels include M. semilibera and M. vulgaris.

Phylogeny

Some authors suggest that the genus only contains as few as 3 to 6 species, while others place up to 50 species in the genus. Phylogenetic analysis based on both RFLP and restriction enzyme analysis of the 28S ribosomal RNA gene support the former hypothesis, i.e., that the genus comprises only a few species with considerable phenotypic variation. Other DNA work has suggested more than a dozen distinct groups of morels in North America.

Mycorrhizal associations

Although no symbiotic mycorrhizal relationships have been proven between morels and certain tree species, experienced morel hunters swear by these relationships. Trees commonly associated with morels include ash, sycamore, tulip tree, dead and dying elms, cottonwoods and old apple trees (remnants of orchards). Yellow morels (Morchella esculenta) are more commonly found under deciduous trees rather than conifers, and black morels (Morchella elata) can be found in deciduous forests, oak and poplar. Morels in western North America are often found in coniferous forests, including trees in the Pinus, Abies, Larix, and Pseudotsuga genuses, as well as in cottonwood riparian forests.

Association with forest fire

Morels grow abundantly in the two and sometimes three years immediately following a forest fire. However, where fire suppression is practiced, they may grow regularly in small amounts in the same spot year after year. Commercial pickers and buyers in North America will follow forest fires to gather morels. The Finnish name, huhtasieni, refers to huhta, area cleared for agriculture by slash and burn method. These spots may be jealously guarded by mushroom pickers, as the mushrooms are a delicacy and sometimes a cash crop.

Morels have not yet been successfully farmed on a large scale, and the commercial morel industry is largely based on harvest of wild mushrooms.

False morels

When gathering morels, care must be taken to distinguish them from the poisonous false morels, including Gyromitra esculenta, Verpa bohemica, and others. Although the false morels are sometimes eaten without ill effect, they can cause severe gastrointestinal upset and loss of muscular coordination (including cardiac muscle) if eaten in large quantities or over several days in a row. They contain a gyromitrin-like toxin (an organic, carcinogenic poison) that is produced by the mushroom.

The false morels can be told apart from the true morels by careful study of the cap, which is often “wrinkled” or “brainy”, rather than honeycomb or net-like. Gyromitra esculenta has a cap that is generally darker and larger than the true morels (Morchella sp.). The caps of early morels (Verpa sp.) are attached only at apex (top) of cap, unlike true morels which have caps that are attached at or near the bottom.

Morels are a feature of many cuisines, including Provençal. Though morels are typically sold dried or canned, they can be purchased fresh. When preparing fresh morels for consumption, soaking them may ruin their delicate flavor. Due to their natural porousness, morels may contain trace amounts of soil which cannot be washed out. One of the best and simplest ways to enjoy morels is by gently sauteeing them in butter, cracking pepper on top and sprinkling with salt. Others soak the mushrooms in an egg batter and lightly bread them with saltine crackers or flour.

Many people dry out the morels for long term storage. When they are ready to eat them, they simply soak the morels until they reabsorb moisture. Eggs from moths or insects can hatch during storage. Other people freeze or can their mushrooms.

Toxicity

Morels contain small amounts of toxins that are usually removed by thorough cooking; morel mushrooms should never be eaten raw. It has been reported that even cooked morels can sometimes cause mild poisoning symptoms when consumed with alcohol.

It is important to try small amounts of any edible mushroom, and only eat ones that are clean and free of decay.

Sourse: Wiki

morel mushroom hunting tips

Instructions on how to hunt for Morel Mushrooms are guidelines. I say this because, much like fishing or other outdoor activities, nature just doesn’t always cooperate! That is why so many people enjoy Morel Mushroom hunting. If it was always as easy as walking to the grocery store it wouldn’t be nearly as exciting. Few things compare to thrill of poking through the woods, grass and underbrush in search of this tasty little morsel. When you do find them chances are that there will be more than one. The reason for this is that fungi tend to have an underground “root” system that is normally there but relies on the proper conditions to flourish. Moisture, temperature and other factors dictate whether they will “pop” and when. Some years they do in certain spots, and some years they don’t! Have you ever gone to the same fishing hole several different times with greatly different results? Nature at her best! Morel Mushrooms will grow when the temperature, humidity, variance between daytime and nighttime temperature, soil acidity and many other factors are JUST RIGHT. The “season” for Morel Mushrooms begins sooner in the southern climes and works its way north as the daytime temperatures get warmer sooner. If you live in the southern hemisphere this trend is reversed.

Hunting for morel mushrooms

Here’s the deal-When temperatures in your area in the Spring begin to climb into the sixties during the day and are no colder than the forties at night (Normally April in the Central United States) Check Weather START LOOKING! Right after a rain is when I have found it to be the best. You should look in stream and river beds, wooded areas, around fallen timber that has been decaying, and don’t forget to look within brambles and thick underbrush. Many people won’t go in there and you may be surprised what you will find! Take a woven mesh bag (such as an orange or potato bag) with you to put them in.  This is extremely important, because Morels spread thru spores, which shake loose as they are jostled about.  Allowing the spores to fall to the ground will help to ensure Morel hunting for our grandchildren and beyond! It is also a good idea to have a long stick to push aside tall weeds, limbs, and grass to get a better look. Or you can crawl on your belly like a snake if it works. I have seen some people coming out of the woods who look like they have done this and they have a bag full of Morel mushrooms. I’m not advocating this practice because another Morel hunter could step on your head and ruin your day.

Morel Mushrooms are delicious, FUN to hunt for, a great way for the family to spend time together BUT…Always know what you are looking for! See Photos! There are varieties of mushrooms that resemble Morels but are poisonous. An experienced Morel hunter knows the difference, so it is a great idea to go with someone who has hunted in the past before you strike off on your own.

Hunting for morel mushrooms

If you are a first time hunter, you should make your first hunting expedition with someone who knows what a good morel looks like. There are several types of morels, some edible and others poisonous.

This site has great images of the good, the bad and the uglies! Click here for other great sources of morel identification as well as make sure to visit The Great Morel’s page on the false morel.

Hunting for morel mushrooms

Hunting for morel mushrooms

Black morels grow in the same kinds of places their later arriving kin, the white/gray and yellow morels grow, they just pop up first. The very best places to look for all these species are areas where there are live or dead elm trees. Even areas that once held elm trees or where there are a few rotting stumps are good spots to look. This is true even in suburban yards. Many city dwellers walk into their yards on an April morning and find morels standing like small spikes in their lawns. Of course, you aren’t going to find any morels in your yard if your yard has been regularly sprayed with herbicide. And, you have a much better chance of finding a morel if a few old trees remain standing on your lot. Out in the woods your chances are better. The very best chances in my experience are in spots where a large tree or several large trees have been blown down or toppled from old age. These events open the forest floor to sunlight and, in the case of blown down trees, the earth is often disturbed. This frequently stimulates underground mycelia, the main vegetative part of all fungi, to send up fruiting bodies—in this case the morel or “sponge” mushroom.Another excellent place to look is where fire has opened the forest floor. For years I found large black morels

around a spot behind the house where I burned a slash pile on the edge of the woods. Another good place is around your outdoor barbeque pit, if you have burned sticks and limbs there.Although morels can pop up just about any time when conditions are right for them, the very best times are on warm mornings following a warm nighttime shower. Morels have to have moisture to thrive, and the first warm nights are always good stimulators.All varieties will appear sometime during April in Indiana, later in Michigan and Wisconsin, earlier in Kentucky and Tennessee, excepting the mountains. The sequence is black morel, white/gray morel and yellow morel.  The long-stemmed woods mushrooms with the tiny black sponge-like cap usually appear later in the month. Although not as prized as their larger-capped relatives, these ’shrooms are very tasty too.To realize good success as a mushroom hunter, you have to spend a lot of time looking. When conditions are right—warm, moist mornings—the wise morel hunter scouts likely areas every day. You will often see a car or pickup parked along a country road in the mornings this month, as morel hunters stop on the way to work to make a quick check.

-morel mushroom hunting tips-

Oldtimers always used to tell me that the very best time to hunt morels conincides with that time when dogwood tree leaves are “the size of a mouse’s ear.” That’s a pretty small leaf. That time hasn’t arrived yet, but it won’t be long. Check those dogwood trees.
If you have never seen a morel before, it is probably best to get someone who has to identify your first finds. Although morels are very distinctive are hard to mistake for something else, there is one fungus called the false morel that is toxic. Some people get sick after eating this variety. False morels look most like the early black morel. So far as I know there is no false morel that has the coloration of the white/gray and yellow varieties.

There are some fungus identification books around, and books with photos of morels can give you a very good idea of what to you’re hunting. However, there is no substitute for experience. The best bet is to get someone who knows morels to take you hunting. Once you have seen a few in their natural habitat, you will never forget their appearance.

Research shows this species of the morel family is said to contain a toxic chemical called Gyromitrin, a toxic and possible carcinogenic chemical. There are white papers out on the internet that suggest this chemical can be removed from the morel by repeatedly boiling small cut up pieces in water. There are also shoomers who will tell you they have no ill side-effects from ingesting properly prepared false morels, yet evidence will point out that even ingesting small amounts of un-properly treated false morels can have serious side-effects. Even the preparation of the false morel in itself can be dangerous and may cause adverse reactions, thus avoid inhaling fumes and steam. Research also points out there are various species of false morels that grow around the world, and while some may not be as toxic as others, it is wise to understand this and to do your own research wisely.

Some of the known side effects are severe cases of diarrhea, severe headaches, vomiting, nausea, extreme dizziness, and YES even possible death. The Great Morel strongly suggests that you leave the false morel exactly where you found it. The Great Morel also suggests (as many others do) that even if you have no reaction yourself, not to offer the false morel to anyone else, especially to children and pregnant women.

With that said on the biological make-up of the false morel, let us take a look at and discuss some of the visual characteristics. Keep in mind as stated above, there are several species of false morel and this page is showing only one of those. As you look at the images below you can click on the thumbnails to view a larger image. Pay close attention to the physical characteristics which are about to be discussed, as it will help you determine whether you have indeed found the false morel.

Let’s start out with some basic characteristics which should tip you off right away. Notably is just how ugly they can appear, as can be seen in the picture above. The texture or makeup of the cap or head can typically have brain-like features, with folds in the caps, which some might describe as wrinkles, and are often brittle to the touch. The color will appear reddish or a brownish red, and will darken to almost a blackish red as the false morel ages. You can see some of this darkening beginning to take place on the image below. Sizes can vary from 2 inches to 10 inches.

One of the easiest ways of determining the false morel is by slicing it long ways. See the image below of a crosscut sectioning and note the meaty texture of the stem. False morels are not hollow, which is the most definite tip that you have stumbled up one of these ugly bad boys. The false morel shown in this image is also quite heavy as it is almost solid in the stem and meaty, and often referred to as “cottony”. Some expert mycologists go into greater detail in defining the relationship of the cap and the stem. You check out the links below for more photos and detail descriptions of the physical relationship between the cap or head and stem.

Now if you look at the two images below show what an edible morel looks like when it is sliced. The first is of a small yellow morel and the second image is of what is referred to as a grey morel. Take a moment and compare it to the image above, you’ll see the notable difference in both the stem and how the cap is attached to the stem. The yellow and grey morel’s stem is hollow. You can view images of all the edible morels on the Picture page as all of the images on those pages are of the edible variety.

Get a Morel Pizza at Louie’s Pizza in Fort Wayne, IN

.33 pound fresh morels
3 tablespoons unsalted garlic butter
3 tablespoons Morel Oil
.33 pound of sliced grilled Chicken
sliced rings of Onion and/or asparagus tips
.5 pound of shredded Fontina Cheese
2 oz of grated Asiago or Parmesan Cheese
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound Pizza Dough

Roll out the dough and brush with garlic butter.  Place the prepped mushrooms, chicken and onions/asparagus tips, sprinkle the morel oil over the top and season.  Add the shredded fontina and top with the asiago.  Bake for 6 – 8 minutes at 400 degrees until dough is light brown on sides and bottom, and cheese is light brown.  Remove from the oven and rest for a minute, then slice and dig in!

Easy Morel Appetizer

1 pound fresh morels
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 tablespoons Morel Oil
2 tablespoons finely minced shallots
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 loaf  Italian or French bread

Heat the butter and morel oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and chopped mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender, about 10 minutes.  Remove the morels.  Slice thin slices of bread and toast them in the same pan, about 2 minutes. Place the toast on a serving plate and top with portions of mushrooms.

Favorite Morel Appetizer
(Also good from freezer, to have at the first snow fall with some fresh off the ice hooked blue gill or pike)

2 pound fresh morels
6 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 tablespoons Morel Oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups cracker crumbs or breadcrumbs
1 egg beaten or two eggs if you use only the whites
2 oz. grated parmesan

Dip the morels in the egg wash seasoned with salt and pepper, then in the breadcrumb or cracker crumb and parmesan mixture. (From here lay the mushrooms out flat in a lock freezer bag and seal and put in freezer, )  or to enjoy right away: Heat the butter and morel oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Place the morels in the pan and cook on medium heat, about 5 minutes per side if the morels are fresh; and about 7 min per side if froze. ( I save the leftover oil and butter in the refrigerator to use to make a great scrambled eggs breakfast.)

Morel Mushroom Sauce

2 pounds fresh morels, stems trimmed
6 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 tablespoons fresh finely minced shallots
2 tablespoon fresh finely minced garlic
2 cup dry red wine
2 oz brandy
5 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh finely minced parsley leaves
1 tablespoon fresh finely minced chives
1 teaspoon fresh finely minced thyme leaves

Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and chopped mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are almost tender, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and shallots and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes more. Add the brandy and flame away the alcohol and reduce for 1 minute.  Add the wine, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until the mushrooms are fully soft, about 5 minutes more. Remove the lid and add the chicken stock. Increase the heat if necessary and simmer, uncovered, until the flavors are blended, 20 minutes or so. Strain the sauce, reserving the mushrooms. Return the sauce to the pot and simmer until it has reduced by 90 percent and has become very concentrated, about 15 minutes. Add the heavy cream and simmer until the sauce coats the back of a wooden spoon. Add salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm over a very low heat. Just before serving, add the reserved mushrooms and fresh herbs.

Crab Stuffed Morel Mushroom Caps 1 cup lump crabmeat
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
1 1/2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
Salt and white pepper
12 to 16 large morels, cleaned
8 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Wild rice or cous cousPreheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl combine crabmeat, mayonnaise, heavy cream, chopped chives, egg yolk, Parmesan, and bread crumbs and stir to mix well. Season with salt and pepper and stuff each morel with the crabmeat filling.

Heat an oven-proof skillet or sauté  pan and melt 4 tablespoons of the butter. Transfer the stuffed morels to the skillet and quickly sauté, turning on all sides to ensure even browning. Add remaining butter and garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute. Transfer pan to the oven and bake for 8 minutes, or until heated through and morels are golden brown. Remove from the oven, make a bed of wild rice or cous cous and nest the stuffed morels on top, add some garlic butter drizzled over the top, sprinkle with the chopped parsley ,and serve immmmmmediately

Beef Stuffed Morel Mushroom Caps

1 pound 90% Ground Beef
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1 egg yolk
Few leaves finely chopped fresh spinach (remove stem)
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
1 1/2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
Salt and white pepper
12 to 16 large morels, cleaned
8 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Wild ricePreheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl combine beef , chopped chives, egg yolk, Parmesan, chopped spinach, and bread crumbs and stir to mix well. Season with salt and pepper and stuff each morel with the filling.

Heat an oven-proof skillet or sauté pan and melt 4 tablespoons of the butter. Transfer the stuffed morels to the skillet and quickly sauté, turning on all sides to ensure even browning. Add remaining butter and garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute. Transfer pan to the oven and bake for 8 minutes, or until heated through and morels are golden brown. Remove from the oven, make a bed of wild rice and nest the stuffed morels on top,  add some morel mushroom sauce over the top, sprinkle with the chopped parsley, and serve immmmmmmediately

Morels in Fettuccine with
Asparagus & Ricotta Cheese

1/2 cup minced shallot
1 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons Morel Oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 pound fresh morels
1/2 cup heavy cream
6 ounces Ricotta cheese
3/4 pound asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, and cooked in boiling salted water for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender
1/4 cup minced fresh chives
3/4 pound fettuccine In a heavy skillet cook the shallot in the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until it is softened, add the wine, and simmer the mixture until the wine is reduced by half. Add the broth and the morels, sliced crosswise, and simmer the mixture, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the morels are tender. Add the cream and the ricotta cheese and cook the mixture over low heat, stirring, until the cheese is melted. Stir in the asparagus, the chives, and salt and pepper to taste and keep the sauce warm. In a kettle of boiling salted water cook the fettuccine until it is al dente, drain it well, and in a bowl toss the pasta with the sauce.

12 ounces Dungeness crab meat, cooked
1 cup Shiitake mushrooms, cut into strips
½ cup Lobster mushrooms, cut into strips
½ cup Morel mushrooms, cut into strips
2 ounces sherry
1 ounce Cognac
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup scallions, cut thin
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste
8-inch rice paper, softened and kept between wet paper towels

Sauté scallions, garlic and mushrooms in olive oil and butter until soft, about 3 minutes.
Add sherry and Cognac plus cup cream. Reduce until sauce starts to thicken, about 7 minutes.
Remove from heat. Add ginger and Dungeness crab meat and saute for about 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to let filling cool to room temperature.

Place 1 tablespoon Dungeness crab filling in the center of each piece of rice paper. Bring edges of the rice paper together to form a sealed purse. Place dumplings in a bamboo steamer. Steam dumplings until heated through.

Serve with sauce of your choice.

Yield: 4-6 servings
1 Pound morels
1/4 Pound bacon
1/2 Cup chopped onions
1/2 Cup chopped green peppers
1-1/2 Cups shredded (baby) Swiss cheese
1-1/2 Cups milk
1 Cup Bisquick
3 Eggs
1 Teaspoon salt (to taste)
1/4 Teaspoon pepper

Prepare BASIC BACON & MOREL mixture.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a 10-inch, lightly coated (butter/spray) pie pan mix bacon, mushrooms, onion, green pepper and cheese. In medium-sized bowl, mix milk, eggs, bisquick, salt and pepper. Beat until smooth. Pour into pan. Bake 35-40 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Morels
.25# Pancetta
.5oz Garlic
.5oz Shallots
3 springs Flat Leaf Parsley
2 springs Thyme
.25# Fresh Morels
Salt and Pepper
EVOO

Sort and wash morels, reserving largest for presentation. Mince garlic and shallots. Rough chop parsley, thyme, smaller morels, and pancetta. Render pancetta with garlic and shallots over low heat until most of the oil is released. Drain off oil and reserve. Turn heat up to high and briefly sauté mushrooms and chopped herbs in pancetta mixture until the mushrooms are soft and the meat has started to crisp. Transfer to food processor and pulse until blended but not pureed. In a separate pot, bring salt water to a boil and briefly blanch larger morels for plating. Working quickly, spoon stuffing inside of morel caps.

Truffle Foam
2TB White truffle butter (I recommend Fabrique Delices brand)
.5ts Lemon-Pressed Olive Oil (I recommend Agrumato. brand)
.5C Skim milk
.25ts Powdered Soy Lecithin
Salt

Warm milk over low heat and whisk in lemon oil and truffle butter until mixture is emulsified. Add salt and Lecithin. Buzz with emersion blender and spoon foam for plating.

Parmesan Oil
Aged parmigiano reggiano (around 2 years; look for Vecchio on the label, that means it’s aged between 1.5 and 2 years)
Olive Oil (not extra virgin)

Rough chop cheese and submerge in oil. Bring oil up to 120 degrees and maintain temperature for 20 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature and then strain, reserving cheese curds for further use.

Leek Puree
2 Leeks
1ts Sugar
.5ts Salt
.5ts White Pepper
1/2ts Tapioca Starch

Clean, wash, and rough dice Leeks. Drop in boiling water to blanch. After about three minutes (or until tender but not discolored), transfer to ice water. Strain and puree with sugar, salt, pepper, and tapioca. Strain through fine mesh and let stand for ten minutes. Repuree and adjust seasonings and consistency as needed.

Bacon Powder
2TB Tapioca maltodextrin
4TB Rendered Pancetta Fat

In a food process, add maltodextrin and begin pureeing as you slowly incorporate fat. Scrap down sides. Adjust consistency with maltodextrin.

Assembly
Sauce presentation plate with leek puree and parmesan oil. Position stuffed morels across saucing and spoon additional oil over them. Spoon foam over open end of the caps. Garnish with bacon powder and shaved truffle.

Presented with
Herb Goat Cheese and Spring Arugula
Blackberry Gastrique

Makes 6 salads

1 lb fresh morels (1-2 inch Caps)
3 cups crushed saltines(place in bowl)
3 eggs (place in bowl)
1 cup all purpose flour(place in pan)
1 cup canola oil
8 ounces goat cheese (cut into 6 even slices)
2 spring chives
2 spring fresh thyme
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 bunch fresh baby arugula
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2/3 cup blackberry jam (fresh berries)
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1.Soak Morels in 2 cups of cold water with 1/2 tsp of salt for 10 minutes
2. Remove morels from the water and pat dry with a paper towel
3. Crack egg and mix until frothy,
4. Place morels in a small rectangle pan and lightly dust with flour.(coat both sides)
5.Shake excess flour off and place morels into egg mixture
6.Lightly drain egg and place morels into the saltine crumbs,lightly coat and set aside
7. Pre-canola oil over medium heat in a skillet.
8. Place morels into oil when hot. Turn mushrooms when brown and remove from pan. Repeat process until all mushrooms are cooked. Set aside for later.
9. Finely Chop herbs, place on a plate with cracked pepper. Roll goat cheese into herbs, making a crust
10. Slice into 6 even slices
11. Wash arugula and set aside
12. Take the sugar add in a sauce pan over medium heat, stirring until becomes a liquid and golden brown.
13. Add cider vinegar, stir until dissolved.
Bring to a boil, add blackberry jelly or fresh berries
14. Place arugula in a bowl,lightly toss gastrique as desired.
15. Place goat cheese on a plate
16. place the arugula on top
17. Place the morels on top of the greens
18. Season with salt and pepper

What you need to make my CROUTE AUX MORILLES recipe:
For four persons
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes.
Ingredients:
750 g of Morels (approximately 1 1/2 lbs)
3 shallots chopped
1 dl of Port (not quite 1/2 cup)
4 dl heavy Cream (not quite 2 cups)

1. Cut the ends of the mushrooms. Do not cut too much. I also cut them in half to be able to clean them well. Morels tend to be sandy. I rinsed them 3-4 times in water, do it carefully as to not destroy the mushrooms. Then drain them and towel dry them. If you have really big mushrooms you can cut them further, so that all the mushrooms are about the same size

2. Put butter in a pan, I used a WOK. Melt the butter and wait until it is nice and hot. Add the mushrooms. Cook at medium hot. The mushrooms will let out alot of water, cook it down until it is almost all gone. I did end up taking the mushrooms out and cook the water down. The reason I took the mushrooms out was so that it wouldn’t cook them to oblivion.

3. Add the shallots when the water has reduced. Salt and Pepper and cover. Stir. Lower the heat and let cook a few minutes, then add the PORT. Stir. Cook uncovered until the port has reduced. When Port has reduced had the cream. Stir.

4. Let it cook a low to medium heat until the cream has reduced. Keep stirring every so often.

5. When your sauce is a nice thick consistency you are ready to serve it! Now, you can use this sauce over steaks. But I used it over toast. I toasted some nice dense slice bread and just pour the sauce over it.

Make those morels shine with this simple recipe that provides gentle accents to help the flavor of the morels explode:

For each serving, place 1/2 to 1 cup of roughly chopped morels in the center of a square of parchment paper. Dot with bits of HIGH QUALITY butter. Plugra is great. Sprinkle with fresh rosemary.

Now fold the parchment square in half over the mushrooms and begin rolling in the open edges tightly to make a small, crescent-shaped envelope. (Think about those pre-packaged apple pies they sell in convenience stores. Shape it like that.) Pop the packets in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

This simple technique allows for really fancy-seeming presentation, as well. Place a packet on each diner’s plate, and let them slice it open. The steam will escape all at once, and they’ll be smacked in the face with buttery, mushroomy awesomeness. And it gets better from there.

Impressive, simple, and a great way to highlight the flavor of mushrooms.

for the confit
1 1/2 pounds morels or assorted wild mushrooms, such as shiitake, oyster mushrooms, chanterelles, and creminis
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 cups light, non-flavored oil such as safflower
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh tarragon
3 cloves garlic

for the flan
2 ounces dried morel mushrooms
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup minced shallots
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons finely chopped tarragon leaves
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 egg yolks
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

for the saffron citrus beurre blanc
2 cups white wine
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
generous pinch, saffron threads
2 minced shallots
2 sprigs of fresh tarragon
bay leaf
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
8 ounces (2 sticks) chilled butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
salt to taste

for the confit

1. In a large colander combine mushrooms and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside for 1 hour, allowing mushrooms to release as much liquid as possible (do not reserve liquid), stirring occasionally.

2. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. In a baking dish combine mushrooms with remaining ingredients, making certain that mushrooms are completely covered with oil. Cover with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours, until mushrooms are very tender. Transfer mushrooms to a strainer or colander, remove bay leaves and tarragon sprigs sprigs, and allow to drain. (Oil may be reserved and used for another purpose.) Reserve at room temperature.
for the flan

3. Lightly butter 6 (4-ounce) ramekins and set aside.

4. Under cold running water, quickly rinse morels to rid of any sand or dirt.

5. In a small saucepan combine morels with 3/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook until morels are very soft and liquid has reduced to 1/2 cup. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool. When cooled, remove morels from liquid and set aside. Strain liquid through a fine meshed sieve and reserve.

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small sauté pan melt butter and sauté shallots until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and tarragon and cook another minute. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor and add reserved mushroom liquid and morels and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and whisk in the heavy cream, egg yolks, nutmeg, cheese and salt and pepper, to taste. Divide mixture between ramekins and place the ramekins in a baking pan. Add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins and bake flans until set, about 45 to 50 minutes.
for the beurre blanc

5. As the flan bake, prepare the beurre blanc. In a sauce pan, combine the white wine, lemon juice, saffron, shallots, tarragon, bay leaf and peppercorns. Reduce by two thirds, whisking frequently to prevent scorching. Add the heavy cream and reduce this by half, whisking often. Whisk in the chilled butter, cube by cube, whisking the entire time and making sure that the each cube is fully incorporated before adding the next. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve, adjust the seasoning and either serve or hold by keeping warm, pan covered in foil. The incorporation of the butter is fairly time consuming but the beauty of this sauce is that it can be held for so long and that once served, it is dazzling to behold and a luscious, wondrous thing to consume.
to assemble

6. Once the flan has been removed from the oven, remove the ramekins from their water bath and let them rest for about ten minutes. After they have rested, go around their outer edge with a butter knife to release them from the side of the ramekins and then gently invert them onto a plate. Top each flan with a portion of confit and then drizzle with a ribbon of beurre blanc.

Yield: 6 individual flans

Choose your mushrooms wisely!

Gyromitrin is a toxin and possible carcinogen present in most members of the fungal genus Gyromitra, most notably the false morel G. esculenta.

Gyromitrin is volatile and water soluble, and can be mostly removed from the mushrooms by cutting them to small pieces and repeatedly boiling them in copious amounts of water under good ventilation. While most people experience no ill effects from ingesting the remaining small doses of gyromitrin, some may have a metabolic sensitivity to it and can become seriously ill from eating even properly-prepared false morels.
Initial symptoms of gyromitrin exposure include headache, nausea and dizziness. As gyromitrin is quite volatile, even just the presence of false morels in a poorly ventilated space may be enough to cause these symptoms. Consuming large amounts of gyromitrin, such as are found in untreated false morels, may lead to catastrophic liver failure and death.
There is some evidence that even small doses of gyromitrin may have a cumulative carcinogenic effect. Thus it may not be advisable to consume even properly treated false morels too frequently.

Gyromitrin’s toxicity is caused by its metabolic hydrolysis into monomethylhydrazine.The accumulation of MMH leads to necrosis and steatosis.

Gyromitrin Structure: