Sautéed Morel Mushrooms Recipe (2024)

Why It Works

Sautéing in oil over high heat, instead of butter, allows mushrooms to brown without the risk of burning.
A generous pat of butter added toward the end of cooking helps emulsify the stock or water into a rich, creamy sauce.
Soy sauce adds umami depth, while lemon juice brightens the dish up.

Mushrooms, for the most part, make me think of autumn. Except the morel. Likeasparagus,peas,ramps, and fiddleheads, morels are a harbinger of spring, and a welcome earthy counterpoint to the fresh, grassy flavors of those other vernal ingredients. Morels are also easy to prepare and cook, as long as you know a few key pieces of information.

Choosing and Cleaning Morels

As you'll find with a lot of mushrooms, the biggest risk with morels is that they soften and rot. Seek out morels that are fresh, firm, and dry—avoid ones that are either desiccated and shriveled or soft, wet, and spongy.

Large morels are more prone to sponginess, since they're often older and already starting to break down. Smaller morels, as you can see in the photo above, are generally a safer bet, though if you do find beautiful big ones, by all means, grab 'em.

Be sure to check your morels for critters like worms, which often set up residence in the little frilly nooks in the mushrooms' caps—the silky threads they excrete may look like white mold, but it's actually a sign you have some unwanted dinner guests. Morels are wild mushrooms, so it's common to find bugs on or in them. There's no reason to avoid morels with worms (though heavily infested mushrooms might be more trouble than they're worth), as long as you take the time to pick those little visitors out.

You should also inspect the morels for dirt and debris, cleaning them off with a dry pastry brush.

Trimming Morels for Cooking

Start by slicing off the tough/dirty end portion of each stem.

Then slice the morels in half lengthwise. You'll notice that they're hollow inside. I usually leave them halved, though you're free to quarter them lengthwise, or divide them even more if they're particularly large.

Cooking Morels

To cook morels, start by searing them in oil over high heat to brown them, just as you would other mushrooms.

The morels will soften and brown. Some recipes have you cook morels from start to finish in butter, but we find that the butter will burn before the morels are sufficiently browned. It's better to brown the mushrooms first, saving the butter for the end.

Then add minced onion,shallots, and/or garlic, lowering the heat to prevent scorching. (If you add these before browning the mushrooms, you risk burning them as the mushrooms sear.)

Add a very generous pat of butter, which will melt and soak into all the little crevices in the morel caps.

I like to add a splash of soy sauce, which pumps up the umami depth, along with some lemon juice, to brighten the whole thing up. A littlestockor water helps emulsify the butter into a creamy, mushroom-y sauce that's just thick enough to both coatandsoak into the morels.

Some green herbs right at the end, like parsley, chervil, or minced chives, add a hit of freshness, and, of course, seasoning with salt and pepper is important. Just make sure to go easy on the salt and taste as you go if you've used soy sauce—it's already brought some saltiness to the mix.

Let's end it there, before I give in to the temptation to make a "morel of the story" joke.

May 2015

Recipe Details

Sautéed Morel Mushrooms

Cook10 mins

Active10 mins

Total10 mins

Serves4to 6 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon (15ml) vegetable or canola oil
8 ounces (225g) morel mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and split in half lengthwise
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 medium clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon; optional)
2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon (5ml) soy sauce
1 teaspoon (5ml) fresh juice from 1 lemon
1/4 cup (60ml)homemadeor store-bought low-sodium chicken stock, or water
1 tablespoon minced fresh herbs, such as chives, chervil, or parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Heat oil in a large cast iron or stainless steel skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring and tossing occasionally, until well browned, about 4 minutes total.
Reduce heat to medium-high and add shallot and garlic (if using). Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add butter, soy sauce, lemon juice, and chicken stock or water and cook, swirling pan, until liquid reduces and morels are coated in a creamy sauce, about 1 minute. Stir in herbs, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

Special Equipment

Large cast iron or stainless steel skillet

FAQs

How long should you cook morel mushrooms? ›

Heat vegetable shortening in a large skillet until very hot. Roll mushrooms in flour and tap off excess; gently lay mushrooms in the hot shortening. Pan-fry until golden brown and flour coating is crisp, 5 to 8 minutes, turning often. Drain morels on paper towels, salt to taste, and enjoy your treasures!

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How long do you soak morel mushrooms in salt water before cooking? ›

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.

Do you cook the stems of morel mushrooms? ›

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).

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What are the best conditions for morel mushrooms? ›

Morels need wet, warm conditions to grow, making it challenging to farm them. So, in the spring, while conditions are damp and the temperatures begin to warm after cool winter months, you'll start seeing these mushrooms peek through the topsoil around the edges of wooded areas.

How do you know when morel is fully cooked? ›

Sauté morel mushrooms about five minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

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Can you soak morel mushrooms too long? ›

The salt water soak should last for about five minutes, but feel free to add a few more minutes to the soaking time if the mushrooms are really dirty. "This helps to get rid of tiny bugs that are usually on morel mushrooms. They are harmless," he shares. Then, dry the mushrooms off and start cooking.

How to get bugs out of morels? ›

😅 For certain mushrooms, like Morels and Oysters, a *short* soak in water/saltwater is not going to harm their texture and will quickly draw out/kill bugs and larvae that may be inside. I would not suggest more than a couple tablespoons of salt per few cups of water, as the mushrooms may become too salty.

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Can I leave morel mushrooms in water overnight? ›

The third way consists of storing the morel mushrooms as though one was going to cook them. You take the cleaned morel mushrooms and soak them in salty water overnight and place them in the fridge. Rinse them to remove the salt water and any dirt. Cut them into appropriate sizes and let them drip.

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When to not eat morels? ›

Avoid ones that are discolored, splotchy or slimy. If the mushroom cap looks red, it's likely a false morel.

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How to tell if morels are bad? ›

Note the discoloration and decaying taking place along the stem and just under the cap. You also should be able to see the moldy white creaming texture setting in. This type of decay is not an uncommon trait on the yellow morels – another indication the morel is a bit sickly.

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Can you drink after eating morels? ›

"Black Morels can cause gastric upset when you eat them with or followed by alcoholic beverages, and some people have gastric distress from eating them even without alcohol.

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Do morels like sun or shade? ›

Morels grow in the filtered light of forests. They grow under and around deciduous trees such as elm, ash, alder, apple, and oak, frequently appearing before these trees have leafed out.

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Do morels pop up overnight? ›

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. Like the whitetail rut or bass spawn, morel development happens relatively fast, but it doesn't come and go in the course of a weekend.

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What animal eats morels? ›

A couple of examples are the (mule) deer, Elk and grey squirrel. These three animals are only a few of which love eating morel mushrooms, but when morel season comes around these animals along with humans all "race" in order to be the first to get their hands (or mouth) on this nutritious and great tasting mushroom.

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Can you eat too many morels? ›

Morels are not to be eaten raw or consumed in large quantities because they contain a mildly toxic substance, which is destroyed in cooking. It is possible for some people to have an allergic reaction to morels. As with all new food, if you are consuming it for the first time a moderate amount is recommended.