Sautéed Morel Mushrooms

It is officially mushroom season in BC and we have been lucky enough to go foraging for some tasty little forest nuggets. Morel mushrooms are some of the most delicious mushrooms known to man. These little gems can be found in burnt forests around downed trees. They taste like little nuggets or chunks of lobster and are really fun to go and find. 

Mushrooms can be dangerous so ensure you are only eating the ones you can truly identify. There are some false morels that are poisonous but they definitely don’t look exactly the same and you should be able to tell the difference. 

For our first haul we wanted to truly taste the delicious natural flavours of the morel mushrooms so I created a simple sautéed dish to share with the family. 

Sautéed Morel Mushrooms

• 2 cups cleaned and quartered morels
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic crushed and minced
• 1 yellow onion minced
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp soya sauce
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp beef stock 
• salt & pepper to taste

Start by cleaning your mushrooms by rinsing them in a strainer a few times to remove all the dirt. Let them soak for 5/10 mins in salt water to remove any bugs. Look for small white worms as well and pluck them off as you come across them. Halve them and let them sit on a towel or paper towel until they are dried out enough to use. If you are saving them you have to dry them completely for storage.

Quarter the mushrooms into bite sized pieces. Add them to the pan with the olive oil on high heat. Sauté for 3-5 mins until they begin to brown.

Turn the heat down to medium. Add the garlic and onions as well as the butter. Toss it together for another couple minutes until fragrant and the onions are cooked slightly. 

Add the stock, soya sauce and lemon juice and zest. Toss together until well blended without overcooking or squishing the mushrooms. Let cool and enjoy! 

This is a simple way to add a touch of flavour to your morels without overpowering them. I will be experimenting with some new creations as I get more mushrooms into my kitchen and forage some more tasty forest treats.