When the late spring rains begin in central Kansas, the foragers take to the woods in search of morels. Once upon a time when Aaron and I were newly dating, he took me on a mushroom hunt that felt more like a wild goose chase. I had envisioned a romantic walk through the pines, but found myself unprepared for the ticks, damp leaves and high-stepping over fallen trees. Morels pop up nearly overnight and vanish in a blink.
We never found mushrooms during that first adventure, which is probably a good thing. I never considered myself a mushroom-eater, and finding a mushroom in the wild seemed like a future case of food poisoning. My tastes have certainly changed and this year I was so excited when my brother-in-law gifted us a big box of morels! We used to soak them in salt water and then overcook them in a flour and egg batter. I've since learned that a more simple approach suits us better.
how to quickly process morel mushrooms
When I first received the mushrooms, they were relatively clean. I soaked them in cool water for about thirty minutes, then rinsed and strained several times. I let them dry on a tea towel for several minutes and then began chopping them into pieces. The best way to store morels is cleaned and dried, wrapped in a tea towel in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. Any sneaky water droplets will cause the morels to rot.
how to cook delicious morels
Foraging for mushrooms is only a small part of the fun. The real magic happens when the cast iron skillet heats up and the morels are transformed into a fancy dish that would please just about anyone's tastebuds. The most common way to cook morels is to batter and fry them. While this is certainly tasty, we have found that a more simple approach is our favorite.
How to clean a morel mushroom
Before you start, I want to share a few things I have learned about cooking with fresh mushrooms. Make sure the mushroom is clean. Morels tend to harbor tiny insects and sand, so a soak in cool water will help to release any hidden stowaways.
I also recommend removing any stems or pieces that are soft textured, bruised or brown. If you aren't able to cook the morels immediately, let them dry thoroughly after soaking and store them in the refrigerator for up to a week. They DO tend to break down quickly, so we try to get them cooked quickly at our house.
Recipe for Creamy Bacon & Morel Toast
You will need
- 4 slices center cut bacon
- ¾ C heavy whipping cream
- 4-6 morel mushrooms, chopped
- ¼ C grated parmesan cheese
- 4 slices whole grain toast we love sourdough
Instructions for cooking morel mushrooms
- Cut the bacon in to one inch pieces and fry in the cast iron skillet over medium heat to desired crispiness. Without draining the pan, remove the bacon and set aside. Sautee the chopped morels in the bacon grease for a few minutes until lightly browned.
- Add the bacon back into the skillet with the morel mushrooms. Add the heavy whipping cream and parmesan cheese. Stir gently until the cream is thickened and reduced, about five or ten minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with green onions and fresh ground pepper, if desired.
- Serve over toast.
Recipe
Creamy Bacon & Morel Toast
Equipment
- cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 4 slices center cut bacon
- ¾ C heavy whipping cream
- 4-6 morel mushrooms, chopped
- ¼ C grated parmesan cheese
- 4 slices whole grain toast we love sourdough
Instructions
- Cut the bacon in to one inch pieces and fry in the cast iron skillet over medium heat to desired crispiness. Without draining the pan, remove the bacon and set aside. Sautee the chopped morels in the bacon grease for a few minutes until lightly browned.
- Add the bacon back into the skillet with the mushrooms. Add the heavy whipping cream and parmesan cheese. Stir gently until the cream is thickened and reduced, about five or ten minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with green onions and fresh ground pepper, if desired.
- Serve over toast.
Notes
How to clean a morel mushroom
Before you start, I want to share a few things I have learned about cooking with fresh mushrooms. Make sure the mushroom is clean. Morels tend to harbor tiny insects and sand, so a soak in cool water will help to release any hidden stowaways. I also recommend removing any stems or pieces that are soft textured, bruised or brown. If you aren't able to cook the morels immediately, let them dry thoroughly after soaking and store them in the refrigerator for up to a week. They DO tend to break down quickly, so we try to get them cooked quickly at our house.Nutrition
Love this recipe? You might also like...
If you love this creamy morel toast, try making my simple sourdough focaccia and pouring the savory gravy over it. Yum! If you want to go with a traditional sourdough loaf, I have the perfect sourdough boulle recipe in my free e-book! Fill out the pop-up form and have it delivered right to your inbox!
Morel mushrooms also can be freeze dried or dehydrated! See these posts to learn more about preserving food: how to use a food dehydrator, how to use a freeze dryer.
Did you know mushrooms are used as medicine in Learn more about medicinal mushrooms in this Instagram post.
Check out this IG reel to see a quick tutorial on washing and processing morel mushrooms.
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