Fried Morels Recipe - How to Make Fried Morels | Hank Shaw (2024)

FAQs

Fried Morels Recipe - How to Make Fried Morels | Hank Shaw? ›

Heat this to at least 325°F and I prefer 350°F. As the oil is heating, dust the morels in the seasoned flour. When the oil is hot, dip enough morels to fit into your sauté pan -- in one layer without touching each other -- into the egg wash, then into the flour once more. Shake off the excess flour and fry.

The first thing you want to do to prep morel mushrooms is to trim any dry or rubbery bits off of them. After that, use a brush or paper towel to remove any dirt from the morels. If they are covered in a lot of dirt, you can dunk them in cool water and agitate them. Gently pat them dry afterward!

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.

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.

Social media is rife with postings about Hoosiers hankering for those tasty morel mushrooms. Morchella, the true morel, is prized for its taste. Late March through mid-May is the best time to hunt for these delicious morsels.

Buying and cleaning morel mushrooms

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.

Morel Mushrooms: how to clean and prepare them

Use a vegetable brush to clean off any dirt and grime. Slicing the morel mushrooms in half will help you inspect them for bugs. Fresh morel mushrooms may be soaked in salt water for an hour to help get rid of bugs. They should then be patted dry.

If you are worried after eating morels with alcohol

As long as the morels were fully cooked the likelihood of adverse reactions is minimal. Most adverse reactions are limited to GI issues like cramps, diarrhea, or vomiting.

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.

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.

How long do you let morels soak in salt water? ›

After a couple minutes, she'll dump the water, refill the container, and add salt. 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.

It might be different depending on where the Morels are harvested, but we found them often to be housing some type of small, mite-like insects. These bugs are incredibly tiny, and nearly imperceptible unless there are enough of them, and you look very closely. They are harmless to eat once you've cooked your Morels.

The entire fruiting body is a single hollow cavity. Verpa bohemica also contains the toxin gyromitrin. Should you be concerned about eating true morels? True morels are normally edible but if a large amount is eaten, or they are undercooked or eaten raw or eaten with alcoholic beverages, one may become ill.

Myth 3: Morels Pop

In the mind of most foragers, the pop is a burst of growth where entire 3-inch morels appear overnight. That's simply not the case.

Fresh morels will smell slightly funky and "woodsy." If foraging, simply pluck the mushrooms from the ground by pinching at the base of the stem and twisting gently. They should come right out of the earth. Store your morels loose, in the refrigerator, in a container with plenty of ventilation.

Some rain to moisten the soil is required but it's a myth is that you need the sun to really “pop” them. Some of my most productive seasons have been cloudy, rainy springs. Besides, everyone should experience mushroom hunting in the rain.

Are morels poisonous with alcohol? Most people can safely eat properly cooked morels with alcohol without adverse reactions. Nearly all morel poisonings are related to personal sensitivities, or eating raw/undercooked morels.

Hunting for morels

When harvesting wild mushrooms, it is recommended that you pinch or cut the stem just above the soil to leave the base of the mushroom in the soil. Use an onion bag to collect the mushrooms. Prepare for a walk in the woods by wearing proper clothes and boots.

While you will enjoy eating the morel stem, make sure you cook it, because it does contain toxic constituents that will break down when cooked (per Fungially).

Cut, Pinch or Yank…

It is a simple process – a pinch or a cut as close to ground level as possible using your fingers or a small field or pocket knife. Pinch and twist will usually do the trick, but depending on the size of your morels a small knife may be more useful. Leave the root system in the ground.