Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Sauteed Morels


  • ½ gallon water
  • ¼ cup salt
  • 8 large morels
  • 3 tablespoons salted butter (do not use margarine)
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • ¼ teaspoon white wine
  • salt and pepper to taste

  1. Clean morels by filling a large bowl ½ gallon tap water. Add ¼ cup salt. Stir. Plunge morels into water for 4 minutes only. If you leave them longer, they will absorb too much salt. This should remove any kill any bugs and remove them and any debris.
  2. Rinse each morel in as slow running stream of cold water as possible.
  3. Blot them dry with paper towels on both the bottom and top
  4. Slice the morels in quarters.
  5. Heat butter in a skillet on medium heat (This would be a 6 setting on my induction cooktop.)
  6. When the butter is bubbling, add the minced garlic.
  7. Cook for 30 seconds.
  8. Add the morels.
  9. Add the wine and reduce, flipping them once.
  10. When sauce is reduced, remove and serve.
  11. Taste test and add salt and pepper as desired.  (I didn't have to add any salt because I used salted butter.)
  12. Enjoy.  

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Crunchy Fried Morels



  1. 1/2 gallon of hot tap water
  2. 1/4 cup salt
  3. 8 large morels
  4. 1 egg, beaten
  5. 1/2 cup flour
  6. 1/2 cup Panko crumbs (Italian flavor)
  7. 2 sticks butter (don't try to substitute margarine)
  8. salt and pepper to taste
  9. Fill approximately 1/2 gallon of the hottest tap water that you can make in a large bowl.
  10. Dissolve 1/4 cup salt into it and stir.
  11. Place the morels into the mixture for  only 4 minutes. Soaking longer than 4 minutes will make the morels too salty. This salt water should kill any bugs and remove any debris.  
  12. With a very slow stream of cold water, gently rinse the morels one at a time and place on a paper towel.  
  13. Pat dry with a paper towel.
  14. With a knife, quarter the morels.
  15. Heat the butter in a skillet on medium heat.  (On my induction cooktop, the setting should be six.)  If the temperature is too high, the butter will burn.  
  16. Beat the egg, slightly in a bowl for dipping.
  17. In a paper bag, place the flour and Panko crumbs. Close the bag and shake to mix.
  18. One by one, dip each piece of morel into the egg mixture, then toss in the bag.  When you get 4 pieces in the bag, close the bag and shake to coat well.  
  19. When the butter is bubbling well, place each piece in the frying pan.
  20. Repeat the dipping and coating process for all the remaining pieces of morel are coated. 
  21. Salt and pepper very lightly.  (If you are using salted butter, you probably won't need to salt at all.)
  22. Fry about 5 minutes or until the coating is a golden color.  This is a very gentle fry.
  23. With tongs turn the pieces of morel and fry until golden on the other side of the morels.  
  24. Remove the morels and place them on a paper plate to absorb the excess butter.
  25. Serve and enjoy.