Mmmm, Morels!!

With the warm and rainy weather of spring comes a luscious crop of morel mushrooms, one of my favorite and most anticipated seasonal harvests of the year. Luckily, my parents live in a beautiful wooded area that is quite ideal for the growth of morels. So a few weeks ago, Jay and I headed out to their place to hunt for these fungal gems, which is always TONS of fun. There's just something very special about the thrill you get finding each morel! And happily, we found LOTS!!

Now pan-frying these things in butter is always delicious, but as usual, I like to mix things up a bit. So I decided to try cooking them some fresh, new ways. When thinking of ideas, it was very important to me that I didn't over-power the delicious flavor of the morels. Therefore, I decided to keep each recipe very simple by using just a handful of ingredients, allowing the morels to be the star. I made a creamy leek and morel soup, oven-roasted morels, morel and garlic focaccia bread, venison wellington with morel duxelles, and deep-fried morels with horseradish sour cream. The best part: I still have some more to work with... Here are a few of my Morel Mushroom 2009 Harvest creations:

*Note: To wash morels, cut them in half lengthwise. Place them in a large tub of water or in a clean sink, full of water. Allow them to soak for a while, gently plunging them into the water occasionally. Remove the mushrooms from the water to a colander. Refill the bath and repeat this process about 4 times, or until there is little to no dirt and debris in the water when you remove the mushrooms. Place the mushrooms in a single layer onto dish towels. After they are totally dry (1 to 2 hours), place them in a resealable plastic bag or plastic container.

Venison Wellington with Morel Mushroom Duxelles

Because its main components come from right here in Iowa, my pride in this great state comes through in this dish. The venison came from my friend Matt's mom, who is a deer hunter (which I think is totally awesome). And, as you know, the morels were plucked from Iowa soil. Plus, one of my lovely hens laid the egg I used for the egg wash. Pretty cool, huh?

1. Set one sheet of purchased puff pastry on the counter to thaw. Rub a 1-pound venison loin all over with about 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon each salt and black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon thyme. Heat a medium heavy skillet over high heat. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil, turning the pan to coat. Place the venison into the skillet. Sear for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until nicely browned all over. Remove the venison from the skillet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. Keep the skillet handy.

2. Meanwhile, for the mushroom duxelles, coarsely chop about 6 to 8 cups (1 1/2 to 2 pounds) of morel mushrooms, 3 cloves garlic, and 2 shallots. Place them in a food processor and pulse until very finely minced.  Heat the same skillet you used to sear the venison over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter and the morel mixture. Saute until the excess liquid evaporates and the mushrooms begin to stick to the skillet. Deglaze with a splash of white wine, season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove to a shallow bowl to cool. 

3. Once the mushrooms are cool and the venison has chilled for at least an hour, preheat oven to 425 F. Unfold the puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry until it is about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick and large enough to fit around the venison. Spread the mushroom mixture over the pastry, leaving about 1 1/2 inches bare. Rub the venison loin all over with about 2 tablespoons dijon mustard. Place the venison on top of the mushrooms on the pastry. In a small bowl, lightly beat 1 egg. Carefully pull the pastry up and around the venison, cutting off excess pastry and using the egg wash to seal the seams. If desired, use the pastry scraps to cut decorations, such as leaves, for the top of the pastry. Brush the entire thing with the remaining egg wash. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the venison register about 115 to 120 F. Allow to rest for about 10 minutes. (It will continue to cook as it rests.) Slice and serve.

Deep-Fried Morels with Horseradish-Sour Cream

I really loved how crispy and light the morels became after deep-frying. They also looked quite pretty.

1. Fill a heavy medium saucepan with 3 inches peanut or canola oil. Place over medium-high heat. Into a medium, bowl pour about 1 cup milk. In another medium bowl, stir together about 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon each ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. 

2. Toss about 4 cups halved and cleaned morels into the bowl of milk. Toss well to coat with the milk thoroughly. Drain the mushrooms in a sieve then toss them into the flour mixture. Toss to coat then remove each mushroom to a sheet of wax paper, shaking off excess flour. 

3. Once the oil has heated to about 375 F (or when the oil sizzles loudly when you toss a drop of water into it), place about 1/3 of mushrooms into the oil, adding them slowly and carefully. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown, adjusting the temperature, if necessary. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining mushrooms.

4. For the sauce, in a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup sour cream, 2 tablespoon mayonnaise, and 2 to 4 teaspoon prepared horseradish. Serve the sauce alongside the mushrooms. 

Toasted Garlic and Morel Mushroom Focaccia Bread

The nuttiness of toasted garlic goes hand-in-hand with the rich, nutty flavor of morels. Add some Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and butter and you get utter, mouthwatering deliciousness.

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. In a medium skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add 4 cloves garlic (thinly sliced). Cook and stir for about 2 minutes, or until the garlic just begins to turn golden brown. Add about 4 cups halved and cleaned morel mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon oregano. Cook until the mushrooms begin to brown. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let cool about 5 minutes.

2. Spread about 1/2 a recipe of pizza dough into a circle or oval onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Poke it with your fingers a bunch of times. Arrange the mushroom mixture over the dough. Sprinkle with about 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly golden. Let cool about 15 minutes before serving.