When preparing morilles, remember that they are very sandy and very moist. I have heard gourmets of the theoretical type say that washing morilles is all wrong, that it leaches out the flavor. But I have never seen a month that could be served without thorough washing. The fact is that as they come through the ground, the alveolate parts, that is, the tiny pockets, are a perfect hiding place for sand. More than ordinary washing is called for to flush the water thoroughly into the pockets. I always waste one washed morille, as M. Tissier taught me to do, by biting into it to make sure that those I am going to cook arc not sandy. The sand also lodges in the bulbous end of the stem and it is practically impossible to clean it out. So the rule is to trim off the little ballshaped stem end.
After the morilles are washed, dry them thoroughly, shaking out the water that clings to them. Their spongy texture holds so much natural moisture that it is trouble enough to cook that out without having any additional liquid to cope with. Before further preparation, morilles are put in a saucepan with a little butter and a few drops of lemon juice and cooked Cor 7 or 8 minutes. This procedure helps to draw out the surplus moisture from the morilles.
Morilles can be used in any recipe calling for mushrooms. Sautéed in butter or oil, or mixed with cream, they go well with almost any entree. Or they can be used in an omelette, some placed in the center before the omelette is rolled and the remainder arranged around it. Sautéed morilles are also a tasty addition to scrambled eggs, But they are most popular with sole and turbut or lurbotin. Turbot is a large, halibut like fish from the English Channel. It weighs about seven to ten pounds and is cut into steaks, Chicken turbot, or turbotin, is smaller, weighs two to four pounds, and is cooked whole. A famous dish is called turbotin d'Offemont, and whenever the name d'Offemont appears on a menu, it guarantees that morilles are in the dish.
Morilles Sevilla (Morels with Ham)
Trim and discard the bulbous stem ends from I pound of morels, wash the morels well, and dry than thoroughly. Leave them whole or cut them in halves or quarters, according to size. Heat ¼ cup salad oil in a saucepan and add 1 ½ cups diced cooked ham. When the ham is golden-brown, lift it out and drain it. Add the morels to the hot oil in the pan. Add ¼ cup finely chopped onion and cook until it is golden-brown.
Drain as much of the oil as possible from the pan. Add the ham to the morels and onion, along with ½ cup sherry. Cook until the wine is reduced to about ¼ cup. Add ½ cup veal or chicken gravy or ½ cup Madeira sauce to thicken the mixture, 1 or 2 red pimientos, cut in julienne, and a little ad freshly ground white pepper to taste. Cook slowly for 20 to25 minutes and serve in a large croustae. Make the croustade by removing the crusts from a loaf of bread and hollowing out the center to form a cavity for the filling. Brush on all sides with butter and brown in the oven.
Morilles Sautèe Bonne (Sautéed Morel with Diced Pork)
Trim and discard the bulbous Stem ends from 1 pound of morels, wash the morels well, and dry them thoroughly. Leave them whole or cut than in halves or quarters, according to size. Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons salad oil in a saucepan, add the morels, and saute them over a hot fire for 8 to 10 minutes. In another pan heat tablespoon salad oil and add ¼ cup diced fat pork, fresh or salt. Sauté the pork dice until they are golden-brown, lift them out, and add them to the morels. Add 2 tablespoons chopped shallots and salt and a little freshly ground white pepper to taste. Cook together for 15 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Morilles à la Crème (Creamed Morels)
Trim and discard the bulbous stem ends from 1 pound of morels, wash the morels well, and dry them thoroughly. Leave them whole or cut them into halves or quarters, according to size. Heat 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan, add the morels, and sauté them for to minutes, or until they are a light golden-brown. Add 1 tablespoon flour or ¼ cup cream sauce and mix well. Add 1 cup hot light cream, mix well, cover the pan, and cook slowly for 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and a little freshly ground white pepper and serve with hot toast.
Morilles à l'Indrenne (Curried Morels)
Trim and discard the bulbous stem ends from 1 pound of morels, wash the morels well, and dry them thoroughly. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan and cook 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion until it is soft. Add the morels and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons curry powder, stir well, and finish with ½ cup thin cream sauce.
Morilles Hongroise (Morels with Paprika)
Follow the recipe for morilles à l'indrenne, substituting paprika for the curry powder.
Morels for Hors-d'Oeuvre
Trim and discard the bulbous stem ends from 1 pound of morels, wash the morelswell, and dry them thoroughly. Heat tablespoons salad oil and 1 teaspoon lemon juice in a saucepan' and in it cook the morels lor 7 to 8 minutes to remove the surplus moisture. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar, ¼ cup salad oil, 1 cup water, ¼ teaspoon salt, 12 peppercorns, 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion or shallot, 2 stalks celery, finely chopped, 1 or 2 stalks fennel, finely chopped, and a few coriander seeds. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Cool and serve as an hors-d'oeuvre.
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