Fried Morels Recipe - How to Make Fried Morels | Hank Shaw (2024)

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4.58 from 45 votes

By Hank Shaw

May 25, 2015 | Updated April 02, 2021

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Fried morels, where have you been all my life? Seriously. I have eaten morels for decades, but only recently have I experienced the glory of the fried morel. I am not looking back.

Frying morels in flour, breading or batter is the go-to method of eating these most coveted of springtime mushrooms for most of North America. But not where I live, in the Pacific West.

Fried Morels Recipe - How to Make Fried Morels | Hank Shaw (2)

Here we tend tosauté them with other spring vegetables and toss them into pasta, make risotto or somesuch. I looked down on fried morels for a long time… until I finally had some. I was wrong. Simple? You bet. But so, so good.

The secret is the coating on the mushroom. A good breading or batter will not only give you a nice crunch, but it will protect the morel inside, which will cook not by contact with the hot oil, but by steaming from within. Few other methods really highlight the actual flavor and texture of morel mushrooms.

But know that there’s a trick to this: You need a substantial breading or batter. Just a quick dip in flour isn’t good enough to get this effect. The reason is because you need to fry your morels for longer than you’d think because morels must be fully cooked to be safe to eat. Raw morels will send most people to the hospital.

Undercooked morels will send many of youto the porcelain bowl. How long? Hard to say, but 6 minutes per morel seems to work fine. To get there, you actually don’t want to fry your morels at ragingly hot temperatures; 325°F to 350°F is the sweet spot.

My breading of choice is flour, then egg wash, then flour one more time. I like this because it’s thick enough to get you that awesome steaming effect, but it’s not so thick that it’s all batter, like a beer batter would be. Tempura is another good choice. You could also use finely milled cornmeal, normally sold as “fish fry.” After all, some people call morels “dry land fish.”

Serve your fried morels very simply. After all, this is the culmination of long hours hunting for your quarry and you want to let them shine. You want something for tartness, though. I like lemon wedges, but malt vinegar is another good choice. Oh, and beer. Lots of beer.

4.58 from 45 votes

Fried Morel Mushrooms

Fried morels can be done in several ways, but I prefer this method. Be sure to cook them for at least 6 to 8 minutes, however, because undercooked morel mushrooms can give some people an upset stomach. You can also do this recipe with regular button mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, or "pinks," which are wild meadow mushrooms.

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Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4 people

Author: Hank Shaw

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces to 1 pound fresh morels
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • Lard, butter or vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

  • Slice large morels in half lengthwise and keep small ones whole. Drop the mushrooms into a bowl of cool water and shake them around a bit to let any debris fall out of the little nooks and crannies in them. Remove from the water and pat dry with paper towels.

  • Put the flour and all the seasonings in a bowl. Whisk together the milk and eggs in another bowl.

  • Pour enough oil, or lard or butter, into a large sauté pan to come up about 1/2 inch. You are shallow-frying your morels, like when you fry chicken. Heat this to at least 325°F and I prefer 350°F.

  • As the oil is heating, dust the morels in the seasoned flour. When the oil is hot, dip enough morels to fit into your sauté pan -- in one layer without touching each other -- into the egg wash, then into the flour once more. Shake off the excess flour and fry. You want the morels to be fully cooked so fry them for at least 3 to 4 minutes per side, adjusting the heat so they don't burn. If your heat's at the right spot, it all should sound like frying bacon.

  • When they're done, move the morels to a paper towel to drain. If you have a lot of morels to fry, put the paper towel in a baking sheet and set that in the oven set to "warm." Serve your morels with lemon wedges and lots of beer.

Nutrition

Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 1809mg | Potassium: 509mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 168IU | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 14mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @huntgathercook or tag #hankshaw!

Categorized as:
American Recipes, Appetizers and Snacks, Featured, Foraging, Mushrooms, Recipe

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About Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet’s largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

Read More About Me

Fried Morels Recipe - How to Make Fried Morels | Hank Shaw (2024)

FAQs

Fried Morels Recipe - How to Make Fried Morels | Hank Shaw? ›

Heat this to at least 325°F and I prefer 350°F. As the oil is heating, dust the morels in the seasoned flour. When the oil is hot, dip enough morels to fit into your sauté pan -- in one layer without touching each other -- into the egg wash, then into the flour once more. Shake off the excess flour and fry.

Should I soak morels in salt water? ›

While a soak isn't necessary, it is a good way to clean morels and make sure that there's no dirt or bugs in any of the crevices. The best way to soak morels is to place them in a bowl of lightly salted water for about five minutes. Once the soak is done, be sure to thoroughly pat the morels dry.

How do you know when morels are done cooking? ›

Sauté morel mushrooms about five minutes or until golden brown and crispy. You'll have everyone reaching for more.

How long to soak morels before eating? ›

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.

What is the best season to pick morels for cooking? ›

The morel mushroom season is from late March through May. Morels start popping up when the ground heats up to 45 or 50 degrees and when the soil is wet but not soaked through. Morels can be elusive, but they will often start showing themselves after a string of 50-degree days and a little rain.

Why can't you eat morels with alcohol? ›

Buying and cleaning morel mushrooms

Never eat raw or undercooked morels, and avoid eating them when consuming alcohol, as morels contain small amounts of hydrazine toxins. These are destroyed when cooked, but can still cause issues in people with a sensitivity to mushrooms.

How do you prepare morels for cooking? ›

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.

Can you drink after eating morels? ›

Most people can safely eat properly cooked morels with alcohol without adverse reactions. Nearly all morel poisonings are related to personal sensitivities, or eating raw/undercooked morels.

How long do you soak morels in salt water? ›

For some that means five minutes; for others it's a half hour. The short soak helps accomplish a few things, like drowning out bugs and ensuring water reaches every cavity of a morel's brainy cap.

How long to cook morels for safety? ›

At Dave's, a marinade, sometimes boiling, was poured over the raw mushrooms before they were served, Parker said. After his own investigation, Parker said he found boiling them between 10 and 30 minutes is the safest way to prepare morel mushrooms.

Should you refrigerate morels after picking? ›

Fresh morels will smell slightly funky and "woodsy." If foraging, simply pluck the mushrooms from the ground by pinching at the base of the stem and twisting gently. They should come right out of the earth. Store your morels loose, in the refrigerator, in a container with plenty of ventilation.

How long will morels keep after picking? ›

Resist the urge to hoard your morels; they are best eaten within four days of picking them. 4. Keep them fresh in a brown bag or a bowl with a damp paper towel over them in the fridge—if you don't use them in five days, they're history.

What is the best tasting morel? ›

I've put chefs through blind tastings of various morel types. Gray morels always win, followed by conicas, and then "naturals". ALERT !

Should morels be refrigerated? ›

If you only need to store your morels for a day or two, they can easily be kept in the fridge. Simply wrap them in paper towel and place them in a bowl in the fridge. They will stay good for at least a couple of days. Just make sure you don't place them in a sealed container…

Do morels pop in the rain? ›

Some rain to moisten the soil is required but it's a myth is that you need the sun to really “pop” them. Some of my most productive seasons have been cloudy, rainy springs. Besides, everyone should experience mushroom hunting in the rain.

How long should morels soak in salt water? ›

After a couple minutes, she'll dump the water, refill the container, and add salt. This time she lets them soak for 20 minutes before removing the mushrooms and rinsing them in a colander. Once cleaned, she'll wrap them in paper towels and rotate the mushrooms to ensure drying.

How do you keep morels fresh after picking? ›

Simply wrap them in paper towel and place them in a bowl in the fridge. They will stay good for at least a couple of days. Just make sure you don't place them in a sealed container… again, these mushrooms have to be allowed to breath if you want them to stay good for more than a few hours.

How do you keep morels from going bad? ›

Keep them fresh in a brown bag or a bowl with a damp paper towel over them in the fridge—if you don't use them in five days, they're history. 5. To clean fresh morels: Fill a large bowl with cool water—enough so the morels float. Pour a good amount of Morton salt in the bowl and swish the mushrooms around gently.

How do you store morels after soaking? ›

The first of those is to clean the mushrooms then wrap them in a damp towel or cloth and store them in the fridge. The second way is most common in Missouri. After the morel mushrooms have been cleaned, they are placed in half-filled plastic containers with water. The containers are closed with a lid and refrigerated.

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