Morel
Morchella · Fungus
Top 10 pairings
The morel (genus Morchella) is the most prized of all spring wild mushrooms — a hollow, cone-shaped fruitbody whose tan-to-honey-brown head is sculpted into a deep HONEYCOMB of sunken pits and pale raised ridges, perched on a short, ivory, hollow stem. A sac-fungus foraged from spring woodlands rather than farmed, it carries a deep nutty, earthy, near-meaty savour that has made it a hunted delicacy for centuries — and it must always be cooked, never eaten raw.
Picking a good onedrag
Springy, dry, nuttySlack, slick, ammoniacal
Market firmEveryday bestThe all-rounder: butter, cream, a splash of sherry, or into a spring sauce.
Cap surfaceRidges darkening, pits still dry
Cut stemCut face tan, drying in a little
In the handFirm, a little limp at the tip
SmellMild, earthy, still clean
What you get from one
100%
Edible part
12.9 g · nothing to trim
12.9 g
Weight each
each one
Keeping ittap a temperature
A domestic fridge holds it about 5× longer than the counter.
95%
Humidity
Paper bag, never sealed
Airflow