Morels, and I don't know what to do with them!!!

[Denninmi]

Oh, crikey, the agony of it. I got 19, count 'em, 19 white morels in my back yard about 3 weeks ago. Most that have ever grown, so I picked them!

And, not wanting to waste them on some pedestrian little dish, I threw them into the freezer until I had some flash of brilliant inspiration about the perfect way to serve them to the fam. Something spectacularly wonderful and out of the ordinary, befitting this rare, rare, rare treat.

However, I haven't come up with a single good idea. So, there they sit, mocking me every time I open the freezer door.

How, oh how, should I prepare these to wow and feed the three of us with these 19 morels (they weigh about 9 ounces total)?

[yellerpup]

1. The first time I had them my mom didn't know what to do either.

So she did them as she would chicken fried steak--flour, egg mixture, more seasoned flour. They were crusty on the outside and SO juicy on the inside. None of the flavor was lost and it was blissful eating. There are probably more upscale ways of preparing them, but that was my first taste of mushroom ever, and I will always remember that experience with eyes closed (sigh). Marvelous!

[freshwest]

5. That sounds like a great idea. Now to find some big mushrooms... Portabello, maybe?

[yellerpup]

6. Yes, Portobellos are the right size to mimic a CFS.

The morels are more like fried shrimp when they are chicken-fried, but a whole lot juicier. Portobellos look like steak pan fried and I have employed them many times when entertaining vegetarians for impromptu meals. They were a huge hit for brunch. I boosted the pan drippings with a few button/cremini mushrooms which made a delicious substitute for steak gravy when served with hot biscuits.

[freshwest]

8. Thanks, I'm going to give that a try.

[HopeHoops]

2. I've never frozen them, but they don't have much of a taste until cooked - then WATCH OUT!

I'd say defrost them first. My usual approach is to cut them into little rings (like calamari), but strips will work fine. Before adding them to anything that isn't a stir fry of some sort, lightly saute them in a good virgin olive oil or a small amount of butter. It doesn't take long. Add the saute liquid to whatever you are making - it leaches out some of the flavor.

Damn those things are yummy. I like them with fresh asparagus.

[Tsiyu]

3. Egg Pie

(or quiche ) with whatever else would complement chopped and added. Goat cheese if you like it, maybe something milder to not overpower the shrooms.

Over broiled or grilled trout or other fish is also nice.

and the asparagus is a good addition to either....

Enjoy!

[yellerpup]

7. Ooh, a local restaurant serves asparagus in

in a sauce of butter sauteed mushrooms with a little garlic. Really delicious!

[Stinky The Clown]

4. The first thing you MUST do with them, to ensure they are fully enjoyed . . . .

. . . . . . is pack them properly and dispatch them via Fedex overnight to Chef S. T. Clown . . . .

[Gormy Cuss]

9. Risotto

Cook the rice with white wine, shallots or mild onions, and the morels.
I'd set aside about three of the morels, cook them just until flavorable, and reserve them for a garnish.

[sinkingfeeling]

10. Put them in a box and overnight ship them to me!

[Retrograde]

11. No, no - send them to me!

If you can't, what I do is just saute them in butter and eat. If I didn't have to buy them at the farmers' market and could find them in the wild, I'd make mushroom soup, or a duxelles-like dish, or ravioli.

BTW, mushrooms dry well. I lay them in a single layer and put them where they get the morning sun through the window (it helps that I live in a dry climate) until shrivelled and pebble-like, then just soak in warm water when I want to use them.

[Major Nikon]

12. Make omelets with them

Remember, omelets aren't just for breakfast.