It's a Land Fish Fry!

Well, the season is finally here! And three weeks early, which is great, because I was getting very impatient. I got a pretty good size harvest the other day, enough for one good serving!
Morels are a really interesting mushroom to eat. Even people who aren't fans of regular mushrooms seem to like these! They taste like a very mild seafood, and have a little bit of a spongy texture. In fact, around this area, they are often called "Dry Land Fish". You can use them in pretty much any recipe that calls for mushrooms, but the two most often cooked I decided to cook up and share with everyone this evening; Fried and Sauteed!
I love them sauteed the best, because the flavor really pops. But, if you are like a lot of 'mushroom haters' its a texture issue, so for those of you who can't get past the texture, I recommend frying them.
I tend to be the cook who just 'wings' it, and doesn't really measure anything, so I apologize in advance for no 'written' recipe. That, and its not really hard to just eyeball the mix.
First, lets see what we need for tonight! About a cup or two of milk, two eggs, about a stick of butter, salt, pepper, and coating. For the coating you can use a couple of things. I prefer crushed corn flake mix (you can buy it at your grocery ready to go). You can use a fish fry batter, crushed up crackers, or, if your desperate for a mix 'shake and bake' can work too. If you use the cornflakes, add some salt and pepper, and thats it!

And now, we are ready to go!!!

So, thats about it! Then feast away! Can't wait to get out and get some more! So...until next time! Happy Hunting!!

PS. The page "The Great Morel" Has some great recipes HERE!

Introduction to Morels

 

Morels on the forest floor. Can you spot them?

Hello! I'm Michel and I'm a forager. During the time of late March until late November I'm in the woods almost every day. Searching, hunting, documenting, and taking home a lot of goodies that the forest has to offer. From Mushrooms to edible plants, there are lots of great things out there! Since the season hasn't quite begun yet (but counting down the days!) I thought I'd start with what I have learned about the first thing I will be hunting. Morels. Morels (Morchella) are a common yet very well hidden edible mushroom found across the United States. In this area of the Appalachia (East Tennessee) our season usually starts around the end of March or Early April and lasts only a few weeks. My 'rule' that I have learned is this for when the season starts: Once you have had 5-6 consecutive days where the temperature is around 70 during the day, and around 40 during the night, its time to start looking! There are several different types of morels in this area. Yellow and Black are the most common. I have found that even though the 'yellow' ones looks more desirable, the black ones taste the best!
In the places I search, the leaf coverage is usually very heavy on the ground, so it can be hard to spot them. But once you get going, they just seem to leap right out at you! Rule of thumb my father in law taught me, "If you see one, sit down, and look around!"
To understand why this works, you have to understand how mushrooms grow. Picture the forest floor underneath the fallen leaf coverage. Imagine there is a giant spiderweb underneath that covers the ground. This is the 'root' work of the mushrooms, called the Mycelium, and the mushrooms just "pop!" right out of them. They reproduce through spores, so be sure if your out hunting you use a mesh bag, or a basket, so the spores can fall and next year, you will have even more! Morels NEVER grow on trees.
Some people say "Ok, that's great, so where do you go?" Nope! Sorry, but mushroom hunters like to keep our spots secret. If you are wondering where to look, well, all over! Usually a good wooded area, that minimal sun hits (they aren't fans of heat). On banks seem to be best, and a lot of times on banks where a lot of moisture collects. They are a fungus, and like most prefer cool, damp areas. In my hunting (and that's just in my area) I have never found morels near pine, or in heavy pine areas. I find some around Oak trees, but almost every time I have found a cluster under Ash trees. (We'll get to tree identification another day). 

So..

That's the basics of the Morel Mushroom. Once the season begins, I'll be giving some tips, and even sharing some recipes. Morels aren't the only thing that starts popping up that time of year!
Until next time, Happy Hunting!