Morel Support


 If you want to find a healthy crop of morels, head for the nearest forest devastated by fire. In A Cook's Book of Mushrooms, mushroom authority Jack Czarnecki tells how the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens "produced legendary quantities of morels--ash-covered and all--the following year." In years past, though, morel devotees in Germany's Black Forest and France's Provence didn't always wait for Mother Nature's caprice. They would burn land in the summer to ensure a good crop the following spring.


You might also uncover morels (muh-RELS) on land where a forest has been clear-cut, in an old apple orchard or just by the side of the road. But be advised, these fungi are "maddeningly elusive," says Czarnecki, who is also chef and owner of the Joel Palmer House in Dayton, Ore., major morel country.
Elusiveness is one reason why morels, like truffles, are so cherished. Also like truffles, morels belong to the category of fungus known as ascomycetes. Neither are true mushrooms, though morels, with their honeycombed caps and stems, certainly look like mushrooms. Another reason for morels' desirability is their flavor, which Elizabeth Schneider, author of Uncommon Fruits and Vegetables, says "may suggest warm autumn leaves, hazelnuts or even nutmeg."
"You can keep truffles and caviar-- I'll take morels," says Jonathan Eismann, chef and owner of Pacific Time restaurant in Miami Beach, Fla. "Morels are unique, with a hundred kinds of fragrances, from fruity to peppery." Eismann likes to use morels in a tarragon cream sauce over fresh semolina noodles or in an Asian-accented glace de viande over grilled veal chops.


The two most common species of morel, which has the genus name Morchella, are the yellow morel, Morchella esculenta, and the black morel, M. angusticeps. Both varieties have a spongelike cap that is contiguous with the stem, not separate like most mushrooms. Both are also hollow.


The yellow morel (also known as the tan morel) is the less common of the two. This morel's color is creamy yellow, turning to light brown with age. Its more rounded cap has irregularly shaped chambers or pits. M. crassipes, sometimes called the clubfoot morel, is a larger version of the yellow morel.


The black morel has a more conical, ribbed cap that ranges in color from gray to chocolate brown to charcoal. Because it is more likely to grow in burned areas (and is thus sometimes called the burn morel), it has a deeper, smokier flavor, and this flavor is favored by chefs. Other species of black morel include the flat-headed black morel, M. elata, and the narrow-headed black morel, M. conica.


You may also see what are called false morels, usually the Gyromitra or Verpa fungi. And while these are eaten by many Europeans, they require arduous cooking or drying to remove toxins, so it's best to avoid them. This caution also extends, at least in part, to true morels--these fungi need to be thoroughly cooked to remove minor toxins that can cause gastrointestinal problems.


Morel season normally begins in mid-March with imports from Turkey, which Rosario Safina, owner of Urbani USA, a large morel importer, considers the best in the world. Later in the spring, smaller crops arrive from Spain, France, Portugal and Canada. The season peaks in mid-May and usually runs until late May, though smatterings of morels may be available into August. Small amounts of Mexican morels can be found in the fall.


In addition to Oregon, domestic morels come from Washington state, California, Idaho, Montana and, in June and July, Alaska. The Midwest, particularly Michigan, produces a large number of morels as well, but most of these are consumed locally. When the conditions are right, domestic morels may be every bit as good as--or even better than--their Turkish counterparts.


Unfortunately--at least for morel fans--there weren't many forest fires in the United States in 1997, so morel supplies may be down this year. And because morels that didn't grow on charred land are more susceptible to infestation, quality may not be up to snuff either. This should drive prices, already high at $20 to $25 a pound, up to as high as $30 a pound, according to Thierry Farges, whose company, Marché aux Delices (formerly Comptoir Exotique), imports and distributes morels. "It's worse than the stock market," he says.


With anticipated supplies of wild morels lower than in previous years, some chefs and retailers are turning to cultivated morels, which have been produced by Terry Farms in Auburn, Ala., for the past two and a half years. Because they are grown under controlled conditions, these fungi don't have the bugs that live on some wild morels. Indeed, the ones I tried were so pristine that they almost didn't look real. According to general manager Rod Sorensen, these morels can also be sold in whatever sizes customers want, from 4-inch jumbos to petites, which measure 1/2 to 3/4 inch each and are the most expensive, at about $35 a pound.


Czarnecki says that these morels don't have the "woodsy intensity" of wild morels, and I agree. I found them no more flavorful than ordinary button mushrooms and not as satisfying as wild morels.


Regardless of whether they are wild or cultivated, fresh morels should have a healthy look--they should be plump, not limp, and they are better dry than moist. The aroma of morels is much more subtle than that of porcini or truffles, and you should be wary of any odors suggesting rot. There should be no weakness between the stem and the cap, and the cap should be unbroken.


Use morels the day you buy them, though they will keep, under refrigeration in a basket covered lightly with damp cheesecloth or paper towels, for up to three days (longer for cultivated morels). Morels need a brief, brisk rinse to remove sand and any other unwanted matter before cooking. It's also not a bad idea to halve a few lengthwise to make sure they're clean. Safina also suggests holding each mushroom upside down by the stem and giving it a good shake.


When the season is in full swing, restaurant chefs use morels in everything from pasta to enchiladas. At Chanterelle, a four-star eatery in New York, the menu is strewn with these fungi, whether in the form of large morels stuffed with chicken mousse and sweetbreads or of salmon poached in morel sauce. Chef-owner David Waltuck thinks oysters and light meats like chicken and veal go especially well with morels, and that morels and cream are "classic."


Speaking of classic, I think one of the quintessential signs of spring is morels sautéed with asparagus. Czarnecki says morels in almost any form taste better with green bell peppers and a gentle seasoning of caraway. Because morels, like most fungi, have an earthy quality, red Burgundies or California Pinot Noirs are generally the wine match of choice, though Oregon Pinots might be even better since they hail from the same terroir. Call it a kind of morel support.

How to Get It
As with any wild mushroom, don't eat morels that come from a source in which you're not absolutely confident. The safest route is to buy fresh morels from a reputable retail store or one of the following mail-order sources, or to purchase dried morels.


Cascade Mushroom Co. Portland, Ore. (503) 233-5881. One-case (about 6 pounds) minimum order for fresh morels.


Hans Johansson's Mushrooms & More Goldens Bridge, N.Y. (914) 682-7288. $25 minimum order for fresh morels. Call for prices on dried morels.


Marché aux Delices Jersey City, N.J. (888) 547-5471. No minimum order for fresh morels. Dried morels are $7.75 for 1 ounce, $112 a pound.


Melissa's Los Angeles (800) 588-0151. 1-pound minimum order for fresh morels. Dried morels are $5.99 for 1/2 ounce, $11.49 for 1 ounce.


Tartuferia Inc. Weehawken, N.J. (201) 902-0881. 3-pound minimum order for fresh morels. Dried morels are $110 a pound (minimum order).


Terry Farms Auburn, Ala. (334) 826-3200. 1 1/2-pound minimum order for fresh morels. Dried morels are $17.50 for 1 1/2 ounces.


Urbani USA Long Island City, N.Y. (718) 392-5050. No minimum order for fresh morels. Dried morels