Simple Morels

Morel mushrooms have caught on the past few years as a major fad in the foodie world.  Why didn’t anyone catch on to this before?  Morels are delicious with a more meaty flavor and slightly tougher texture.  I grew up with them every spring; they grew in the land behind our house.  Unfortunately, the past five or six years the morel thieves come and steal them and make a killing so it has been awhile since I’ve had them.  They bring back fond memories of my childhood so I was happy to find them at our local farmer’s market and pay a ridiculous sum (I talked my way into almost paying half) -but it still seems crazy to spend so much when they should’ve been free had someone not stolen them!!!  I know there are lots of ways to cook morel mushrooms, but I used the old family recipe, which is quite simple.  It was nice to see my toddler keeping up the tradition, he loved them. 

Method:   

• Slice mushrooms in half, if really dirty, rinse with your kitchen sprayer on high.  If you don’t cut them in half and your morels are as dirty as mine were, you’ll just get the dirt crunch from the dirt that worked its way up inside the stem.  If not really dirty, just rinse with a light stream of water.  Pat dry with a paper towel.
• Cut up a clove of garlic and mince, add butter, we add a few tablespoons for flavor but if you want them lighter, just use less butter. 
• When butter heats up, add garlic and morels, morels will sweat a ton.  Let the liquid cook down and once cooked down, add some dry red wine, about a quarter cup.  Stir until wine cooks down and morels look like the picture above. 
• Season with salt and pepper.  Eat

Oh, and don’t eat them raw!  Morel season is almost over, so you’ll probably be able to buy some this weekend still at the farmer’s markets.  If not, some people freeze them or dry them and they retain the flavor nicely, so if you find them anytime in the year, give them a try!