How to cook morels safely

Precautions to take when cooking morels safely

Although they are one of the most beautiful mushrooms in existence, it is important to note that they should never be eaten fresh, even after being cooked for a long time. These spring mushrooms are toxic and have caused serious problems in people who have eaten them without drying them first (hemolytic syndrome and cerebellar syndrome).

The effects usually appear the day after consumption, with the most common symptoms being hand tremors, unsteadiness, dizziness, etc. These symptoms sometimes persist for a few days, but in some people they can last for weeks.

The toxicity we are referring to disappears with drying, and there are no documented cases of poisoning with Morchella if this precaution is taken.

This is why we can say that, despite the occasional reports of poisoning from eating morels, we can continue to enjoy these mushrooms, which for many occupy a special place among edible mushrooms.

Would you like to buy morels for cooking? We recommend our section of gourmet products made with these delicious mushrooms. Enjoy the intense flavor of morels.

That said, as with any mushroom, common sense should prevail. They should be consumed in moderation, only when healthy and, above all, when they have been preserved in a dehydrated formThings to keep in mind

• Fresh morels are poisonous if eaten without being cooked first. They should never be eaten raw
• Do not use the cooking water
• Frozen morels should be treated as if they were fresh, as the toxins remain intact
• If this is the first time you have eaten morels, you should do so in moderation. The first time you eat them is always tricky

If you would like to buy dried morels, we offer packages of 20 g, 500 g, and 1000 g

Precautions to take to avoid morel poisoning

Here are our recommendations to avoid unpleasant surprises when cooking morels. They are common sense, as poisoning from improperly cooked mushrooms can be dangerous.

Precautions for the first time

Many mushrooms are indigestible and sometimes our bodies cannot tolerate them. Therefore, if you are eating this mushroom for the first time, you should do so in moderation. It is even better if you do not drink alcohol (wine, beer, cider, etc.) with your meal. In some cases, intolerance is caused by combining these foods

Dehydrate morels. The most effective method

This is the safest way to almost completely eliminate toxins from morels. It is also the best way to keep them in perfect condition for a long time. The minimum drying time before consumption should be three weeks, but it is best to leave them for as long as possible.

Although there are different methods of dehydration, such as sun drying, electric dehydrators, hanging the mushrooms, etc., we recommend using a food dehydrator. This will prevent excess moisture from contaminating your entire morel mushroom harvest.

To cook them, rehydrate them in water that you will not use for cooking.

Cooking fresh morels at high temperatures

If you want to cook fresh morels, you can cook them raw in a frying pan and once they have released all their water, discard the water and continue cooking, but this time adding natural water.

After about 5 minutes, we discard the cooking water again and this time we can cook them without risk. This type of cooking should be done at the highest possible temperature and for a long time.

This is why the final appearance of the morels may seem unattractive, charred, and with the morels greatly reduced in size. Furthermore, this method does not ensure the total elimination of toxins, although it does allow us to enjoy these mushrooms if we have not been able to dehydrate them

Boiling fresh morels

Another option if you don't have dehydrated morels is to boil them for a long time, at least 30 minutes. Of course, the resulting water will have to be discarded. Even several times!

This will give us cooked morels with a good texture but a very mild flavor. This cooking method can be used to prepare stuffed morels, where the flavor will come from the stuffing rather than the mushroom itself.

Nutritional properties of morels

Morels have a high water content, almost 90%, and are very low in calories, making them suitable for weight-loss diets. They are rich in vitamins B2, B3, and D2, minerals (potassium, iodine, phosphorus, calcium), and fiber. However, it should be noted that raw morels are poisonous, so they must be cooked thoroughly and the cooking water discarded.

Morel recipes

Morels are undoubtedly one of the most popular mushrooms in cooking, thanks to their flavor and versatility. Any variation of stuffed morels is delicious. Here are some simple recipes that are sure to be a hit.

Tempura of morels stuffed with black pudding

• Serves 4
• Preparation: 50 minutes
• Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 150 g rehydrated morels
• 1 black pudding from Burgos
• 2 carrots
• 1 zucchini
• Sunflower oil for frying

For the tempura

• 1 small glass of flour
• 6 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 glass of very cold water

For the sauce

• 1 cup water
• 45 ml mirin or white wine
• 45 ml soy sauce
• A pinch of dashi (dried bonito flakes, optional)

Preparation

1. Make the sauce by bringing the water to a boil, adding the dashi, and cooking for 30 seconds. Then strain the broth through a sieve and add the rest.
2. For the tempura, mix the very cold water with the beaten egg yolk, flour, and cornstarch without whisking too much. It is advisable to leave some lumps.
3. For the garnish, open the black pudding lengthwise, discard the skin and fry in a pan for 4 minutes, crumbling it with a wooden spoon.
4. This recipe must be prepared with dried morels, previously rehydrated in water.
5. Peel the carrot, wash the zucchini, and cut them into strips.
6. Fill the morels with the sausage using a spoon, dip them in the tempura batter, and fry them in hot oil. Let them drain on paper towels. Take portions of carrot and zucchini and repeat the process.
7. Serve the tempura piping hot with the sauce in a separate bowl.

Zucchini and morel ribbons

• Serves 4
• Preparation: 20 minutes
• Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 350 g tagliatelle
• 220 g rehydrated morels
• 2 zucchini
• 1 large onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 dl liquid cream
• A few sprigs of chives
• 30 g Parmesan cheese
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• Freshly ground pepper
• Salt

Preparation

1. Wash the zucchini and dice them. Peel and chop the onion and garlic clove.
2. This recipe must be prepared with dried morel mushrooms, which have been previously rehydrated in water.
3. Wash the chives, dry them with paper towels, and chop them finely.
4. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a nonstick skillet and sauté the zucchini with the chopped garlic for 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
5. Add 3 tablespoons of oil to the same pan and sauté the chopped onion until it becomes transparent. Add the morels and cook for 4 minutes. Then pour in the cream, season with salt and pepper, and cook for another 4 minutes.
6. Add the zucchini to the pan, sprinkle with plenty of chopped chives, and cook for 2 more minutes.
   Drain and mix with the previous mixture, stirring to combine the flavors. Sprinkle with flaked Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Risotto with morel mushrooms

• Serves 4
• Preparation: 20 minutes
• Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
• 250 g rehydrated morel mushrooms
• 10 cups chicken stock
• 1 dl white wine
• 1 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• A few sprigs of chives
• 40 g Parmesan cheese
• 30 g butter
• Salt

Preparation

1. Rehydrate the morels and cut them in half. Peel and chop the onion and garlic clove.
2. Wash the chives under running water, dry them with paper towels, and chop them finely with a sharp knife or scissors.
3. Heat the butter in a casserole dish or large frying pan and fry the onion until it becomes transparent. Add the chopped garlic and morels and cook for a further 5 minutes.
4. Add the white wine, let it reduce for 2 minutes, and stir in the rice. Season with salt and pepper, stir for 1 minute, and pour in 6 tablespoons of hot broth.
5. Cook the risotto for 18 minutes, adding the hot broth a little at a time and stirring constantly. After this time, remove from the heat, stir in the chopped chives and Parmesan cheese. Stir, let stand for 3 minutes, and serve.

This risotto must be prepared with dried morels, previously rehydrated in water.

Cuttlefish with meatballs and morels

• Serves 4
• Preparation time: 50 minutes
• Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 600 g cuttlefish
• 300 g minced pork
• 300 g minced beef
• 1 egg
• 4 slices of bread
• 250 g rehydrated morel mushrooms
• 2 onions
• 2 tomatoes
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 3 peeled tomatoes
• 150 g peas
• 1 sprig parsley
• 2 tablespoons almonds
• Freshly ground pepper
• Salt

Preparation

1. Prepare the meatballs by mixing the two types of ground meat, the breadcrumbs soaked in a little milk and squeezed dry, the egg, a clove of garlic, and the parsley, all finely chopped. Shape them into balls and brown them in a frying pan with oil. Drain them on a plate covered with paper towels to remove excess oil.
2. In a saucepan, sauté the chopped onions for 10 minutes over very low heat. Add the chopped tomatoes and garlic clove. Cook for another 15 minutes, until the sauce has a thick consistency.
3. Clean the cuttlefish by removing the quill, eyes, beak, and entrails.Cut the bodies into cubes and chop the tentacles.

   These meatballs should be made with dried morel mushrooms, which have been soaked in water beforehand.

   Add the meatballs, morel mushrooms, peas, and cuttlefish and pour in a little water (or fish stock).
   Season with salt and pepper and cook for 20 minutes. Five minutes before the end, add a picada prepared by crushing a clove of garlic with almonds and a little parsley. Allow the sauce to thicken with this picada and serve.

Gurnard fillets with morels

• Serves 4
• Preparation: 25 minutes
• Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 plaice fillets
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 200 g rehydrated morel mushrooms
• 2 sprigs parsley
• 3 tablespoons butter
• A pinch of nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons flour
• Freshly ground pepper
• Salt

Preparation

1. Clean the mushrooms thoroughly and sauté them in a non-stick pan with a tablespoon of butter and the chopped parsley. Add the cream, season and cook over a very low heat for about 7 or 8 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, season the fish fillets with salt and pepper, dust them with flour and fry them in a non-stick pan over high heat with the remaining butter. Lower the heat, cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
3. We will use dried morels, previously soaked in water.
4. Add the morels and cream to the pan with the fish, season to taste and flavor with a pinch of nutmeg. Continue cooking for about 2 to 3 minutes more. Arrange the plaice fillets with the sauce on a serving dish and serve with a mixed salad.

You can prepare this recipe with other mushrooms with a delicate flavor, such as button mushrooms or chanterelles. For a more sophisticated version of this dish, use sole fillets cut lengthwise. Roll them up and secure with a toothpick. You can flavor the dish with other aromatic herbs, such as chervil or chives.

Guinea fowl with morel mushrooms and mushrooms

• Serves 6
• Preparation: 40 minutes
• Cooking time: 1 hour and 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 guinea fowl
• 300 g mushrooms
• 250 g rehydrated morels
• 2 onions
• 3 plain Petit Suisse cheeses
• 50 g butter
• 3 slices of bread
• 1 small glass of milk
• 1 small glass of chicken stock
• 40 g of ham
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 egg
• A few sprigs of chives
• Olive oil
• Freshly ground pepper
• Salt

Preparation

1. Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk. Heat half the butter in a frying pan and fry the guinea fowl liver for 5 minutes. Chop finely and set aside.
2. In the same pan, sauté the chopped onion for 8 minutes. Add the chopped mushrooms and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Mix the mushrooms with the liver, the squeezed breadcrumbs and the ham, all finely chopped.
   Add the beaten egg and the Petit Suisse cheeses. Season with salt and pepper, add half of the chopped chives and mix well until you have a paste.
4. Season the guinea fowl inside and out with salt and pepper and stuff it with the mixture. Sew up the opening with kitchen string or secure it with a skewer.
5. Brown the guinea fowl on all sides in a casserole dish with 3 tablespoons of oil. Pour in the broth, cover, and cook over very low heat for 50 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, sauté the morels in a frying pan with the remaining butter. This recipe should be prepared with dried morels, previously soaked in water. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the remaining chopped chives. Add them to the casserole 10 minutes before the end of cooking.
   

   Morel pancakes

   • For 8 pancakes
   • Preparation: 10 minutes
   • Resting time: 2 hours
   • Cooking time: 40 minutes

   Ingredients

   • 700 g pancake batter
   • 500 g rehydrated morels
   • 1 shallot
   • 50 g duck or goose liver
   • 3 tablespoons single cream (or crème fraîche)
   • 1 glass of port
   • Salt
   • Pepper
   • 8 sprigs of chives

   Preparation

   1. Prepare the pancake batter. You can find ready-made pancake mixes in supermarkets.
   2. Peel and chop the shallot. Heat a frying pan with a little oil and fry the shallot.
   3. If using dried morels, soak them in cold water for half an hour to rehydrate them, then drain. Add the morels to the pan with the shallot and sauté over high heat until golden brown.
   4. Shred the foie gras, add it to the morels and season. Stir in the cream and port and allow to reduce.
   5. Prepare the crepes. To do this, grease a hot frying pan with a pastry brush, pour 1/2 ladleful of batter into the pan and spread evenly.
      When the crepe loses its shine, flip it over and cook for another minute on the other side.Garnish the crepes, fold them into pouches, and tie them with chives.