Seasonal Eats: Morel Mushrooms

They may not attract quite the same frenzy as ramps, but when it comes to foraged foods, there are few spring ingredients as elusive, adored (and yes, as expensive!) as morel mushrooms.

Emerging just as the snow recedes, the highly delicate fungi grow wild throughout the United States, popping up in burned or disturbed forest beds, under fallen trees or wood mulch, and in fruit orchards.  (Who knew?)  Sometimes called the “sponge mushroom” because of their signature, honeycombed caps, the uniquely nutty and smoky flavor of the tender morel is prized amongst chefs.  So unsurprisingly, morels are currently being used (albeit sparingly) in dishes at some of New York’s best restaurants.

Take Alfred Portale’s seminal Gotham Bar and Grill, where the $34 Greenmarket Lunch is one of the best deals in town (especially since it contains morel mushrooms), featuring a creamy Sunchoke Veloute with a spring bounty of English peas, green garlic, pickled ramps and rich morels.  And since Morels are such a beloved ingredient in France, it’s a given that you’ll find them at stateside Frenchie, Rotisserie Georgette, as part of a Whole Rabbit Feast with morel, fava and pancetta stuffing, and at the new, Parisian wine bar, Racines, paired with melting Di Palo’s Burrata and Aged Balsamic.  That being said, morels are equally adulated by the Italians, so check out Michael White’s Ristorante Morini, for entrees such as Atlantic Halibut with bagna cauda, morel mushrooms and a fava bean crust.  Morels also have quite a fan club in Brooklyn, so visit the Battersby team’s newest venture, Dover, for their Chicken for Two with asparagus and morels, or the recently opened Delaware and Hudson, owned by iTrulli alum Patti Jackson, for her Wild Striped Bass with morels and caramelized leeks.

Outside of restaurants (and unless you plan to go foraging for morels yourself — no easy feat), your best bet for finding the esteemed mushrooms is at the farmer’s market.  Morels are usually between two and four inches long, and range in color from pale cream to almost black, but keep in mind that the darker the color of the morel, the smokier, nuttier, and earthier the flavor will be.  The price will undoubtedly be high, so select each little cap individually, avoiding those that are soft and mushy or become granular when rubbed (which means they are too old, and wormy).  Instead, look for fresh, plump specimens, whose cut end isn’t completely dried out.  Store morels in a paper bag in the fridge and use as quickly as possible.

Because of the irregular nature of its surface, a Morel cannot be rubbed or brushed, and you also shouldn’t use water when cleaning, as even a brief soaking removes their flavor.  Best to just use them as is, or if you must, cut lengthwise in order to clean out the centers with a dry paper towel.  When it comes to cooking morels, go for simple preparations, which will highlight, rather than obscure, their one-of-a-kind texture and flavor.  Gently sauté in butter, and top with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, or toss in a light cream sauce and pour over pasta, seared skin-on fish, roasted chicken, or a scaloppini of veal.  Morels are simply glorious in risotto, or paired with other prime, spring ingredients, such as asparagus, fava beans, ramps, green garlic, artichokes and shell peas.

There are a couple of ways to preserve morels, if you’re lucky (or financially blessed!) enough to have gotten your hands on a bunch.  They can be ‘flash frozen’ by running under cold water and then placing on a cookie sheet in the freezer, and then removed and stored in airtight plastic bags.  Drying is also a popular and effective method of long-term storage for morels.  String them on a piece of thread by using a needle, with a button at the bottom to hold them in place.  Hang in a warm, dry place inside of a paper bag, to allow all moisture to escape.  Once completely dehydrated, store in an airtight bag or bell jar.  To reconstitute, place them in hot water for five minutes or simmer them in cream until soft, not allowing the cream to boil.  And be sure to use that rehydrating liquid in your cooking too — because it would be a shame to waste a single drop of anything containing the essence of perfect, spring Morels!

Gotham Bar and Grill
12 E 12th St., btwn. 5th Ave and University Pl.
(212) 620-4020
gothambarandgrill.com

Rotisserie Georgette
14 E 60th St., btwn. Madison and 5th Aves.
(212) 390-8060
rotisserieg.com

Racines
94 Chambers St., btwn. Church St and Broadway
(212) 227-3400
racinesny.com

Ristorante Morini
1167 Madison Ave., btwn. 85th and 86th Sts.
(212) 249-0444
ristorantemorini.com

Dover
412 Court St., btwn. 2nd and 3rd Pl.
(347) 987-3545
doverbrooklyn.com

Delaware and Hudson
135 N 5th St., btwn. Driggs and Bedford Aves.
(718) 218-8191
delawareandhudson.com