Morel Mania

It's April in Appalachia and that can mean only one thing to the fungi fiend: morels. Morels are a dense, earthy fungus found primarily in hardwood forests. They are one of the first foodstuffs to pop through the loamy soil during the first warm, wet days of spring.

In Southeastern Ohio, where I grew up, morels are also known as land fish. I've no idea why, unless the name is supposed to somehow reference the shape of the 'shrooms. They certainly don't taste like fish.

In recent years, morels have gained in popularity among food cognoscenti. They can be purchased dried and tossed into soups and stews, but morels shine best when they are fresh and "steak fried." Here's the way my mama does it:

l Gather morels. Trim away any root stock that may still cling to the stem. Place morels on a cutting board, and slice them lengthwise. (You can skip doing this to the small ones.) Remove any forest-land insect hitchhikers you come across -- and release them safely outdoors!
l Wash mushrooms and place in a colander to drain.
l In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, and 1/2 tsp. salt.

l Take up a handful of the morels and gently toss them in the flour mixture, dredging them and being careful not to break their stems or to seperate the caps from their stems.

l Set aside. Finish dredging remaining morels.

l Heat a cast iron or electric skillet. Add just enough oil to the skillet to generously cover its bottom, but remember that you are not deep frying. Just before oil reachest the smoking point, add some of the dredged morels. Do not crowd the mushrooms. If you want a good, crispy 'shroom, they need breathing space. (To test whether the oil is hot enough for frying, sprinkle a bit of flour in the oil. If it begins to fry, then your oil is ready.)

l Salt and pepper. (I go light on the salt at this point. If you are not one for heavy or spicey seasoning, you can skip this step. You already have salt and pepper in the dredging flour.) Cook mushrooms until crispy brown, not burned, turning once.

l Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately, while still hot.

Morel Menus:

Morels are delcious at any meal, but I think they are especially tasty when eaten for breakfast. Serve morels with hot buttered biscuits, eggs over-easy, and strong coffee or hot tea. Morels are a natural complement to the taste of eggs.

White bread, straight from the store, really enhances the flavor of fried morels, believe it or not. Butter two slices of bread and make a sandwich of hot morels. If you've got a fresh green onion to put on your sandwich, all the better. Serve with a mug of strong, hot, sweet tea. Delicious.

Morels are also good served with country ham and fried chicken.

If you've got more morels than you can eat, lucky you!, slice them fresh from the woods, remove any soil with a damp paper towel, place in a plastic bag, and freeze. Don't wash them at this point, but wipe them with a wet paper towel or lint-free cloth. Eat within three months time, for optimal flavor.

Happy eating and welcome to spring!