Cooking Morel Mushrooms Guide

Cooking Morel Mushrooms is popular but if you are just starting it’s good to have some guidance.

Though they can be difficult to locate out in the wilderness, they are delicious and a welcome addition to many dishes. Figuring out how to prepare mushrooms can seem difficult, but don’t worry morel mushrooms are actually very easy to prepare. The guide below will prepare you in creating your own Morel mushroom delicacy. 

Supplies

Before you start cooking, gather what you need. That way you won’t be looking around for items later on.

• Frying Pan
• Kitchen Knife
• Onions
• Garlic
• Butter
• Cooking oil 

Once you have all of the above, you are ready to get started.

Pick Out The Best Mushrooms

Choosing the best Morel mushrooms might be the most important part of the cooking process. Just like choosing a good cucumber, onion or other veggie, you only want the best. Poor quality food reduces the quality of the finished dish.

If you hunt Morels outside, be aware that there is a poisonous species of mushroom that looks identical to the Morel. The only way to tell them apart is to cut open the mushroom in question and examine the inside. A Morel will be completely hollow, while the poisonous lookalike will not be.

Morel mushrooms should be small, yet firm to the touch. They should also be free of bugs and dirt. However, if there are only a few bugs or a little bit of dirt that is okay. Those small issues will be taken care of next. You should also choose the driest mushroom possible. Moist mushrooms lead to a spongier texture. 

Cleaning and Rinsing The Mushrooms

The next step is to make sure that your mushrooms are clean. This step is highly important; never rush through and miss bugs or other debris. First, go over the mushroom and remove any bugs you find. Examine every inch of the mushroom and go over it a couple times to make sure you don’t miss any. Next, use a small kitchen brush and dust off any dirt or other debris. 

If you hunted the Morel mushrooms in the wild, this portion of preparing the mushroom may take longer versus purchasing them in a grocery store. However, if you hunt them, they will be both cheaper and fresher. Grocery store Morels can be quite expensive because they can only be found in springtime or colder climates, which increases their rarity. 

Only after you are absolutely sure the mushrooms are clean, rinse them. This step is very fast. You only want to rinse them under cold water for two or three seconds. Any longer, and the texture of the mushroom might be changed to be more sponge like.

Chopping The Mushrooms

Now that your mushrooms are clean and ready to chop, lay them out on a cutting board. The first step is to cut off the stems and cut as close to the cap as possible. After the stems have been removed, you can either cut the morels in half, or quarters. It doesn’t matter which; it is all a matter of what you would prefer in the dish. 

Make sure to double check that the inside of the Morel is hollow. If it is not hollow, immediately throw them away as they are dangerous.

Time To Cook

Go ahead and heat up your choice of cooking oil in the frying pan. You want to warm up the oil for at least a few seconds on high. After the oil is warm, add the chopped Morels to the frying pan and stir them around. It is important for the cooking oil to coat the outside of the morels completely. Once the morels have been well stirred, turn down the heat to medium and set the timer for five to ten minutes. Stir the mushrooms every couple minutes so they do not burn.

When the mushrooms have turned a light brown color, add in any other ingredients you desire. Popular choices include garlic or onions. Stir once more and let everything sit for a few more minutes. This allows the other ingredients to brown. The next step is to add two tablespoons of butter and allow it to melt. Stir the butter so the morels are coated in it. 

Time To Eat

Congratulations! You have cooked your own batch of morel mushrooms. Eat them alone or add to another dish.