Morel Mushrooms

Anyone else spend an exorbitant amount of time looking for morels? Think the season is just beginning in Ohio!

What wine pairs best with butter pan fried morels? Red Burg might be too heavy?

Definitely not too heavy, but I’d also consider Nebbiolo.

You could go with any “not too heavy” red or any white, I think. Drink what you like.

We had a wickedly good roast chicken with morels at D’Chez Eux in Paris. We drank Chateau des Tours CDR.

Burgundy, WV Pinot, Nebbiolo, Brunello. The wine isn’t the problem. It is finding the morels.
The “go to” place in the PNW is recent fire scars, which are mostly off limits this year.

I haven’t foraged in the past but over the winter got a strong urge to hunt for morels this year. A little early yet though.

It depends on the prep, of course. My favorite morel prep is in a cream sauce with herbs over brioche, which to me wants a full bodied white burgundy. I also like them with roast chicken, when I prefer red burg or nebbiolo.

I’m more of a fall forager than a spring forager, but I do usually make it out once or twice and at least find enough for dinner.

I agree with Sarah’s recs for wine matches. Though I also like frappato or Etna Rosso or Oregon Pinot for reds. Or Beaujolais.

I just assumed that everyone had found the best prep was a sprinkle of flour and pan fried in a copious amount of butter.

We are a few weeks out but absolutely I will be wandering the woods. They are so savory I honestly think they go with any decent wine that is meant for food.

Nah, everyone knows the best prep is in cream sauce with vin jaune over toast.

Served with Ganevat’s Marnes Bleues.

I don’t know. That sounds like it would dilute the morel flavor:
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I’m pretty sure, just like french fries, that toasty champagne is the best pairing?
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Love this prep - this is what we use alongside a chicken, preferably a stronger flavored free range bird. The vin jaune does not dilute the flavor of the morels, in my opinion.

We have 12 pounds of blonde morels arriving tomorrow from Oregon, as foraging in Philadelphia is not recommended. We’ll be sharing about half of them with friends and family, keeping 5 lbs for ourselves.

These are from SW PA. Not mine, I’m jealous. Guy has found ~200 so far. Started finding Blacks 3/20, greys and tans last Friday.
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We’re deep in morel prep this weekend - ended up with 7 lbs just for us. If anyone wants to check out a bunch of pictures, my Instagram is NYC_Maenad.

Sarah, do you mind sharing where you’re ordering from?

Of course - Oregon Mushroom Company. Excellent products.

Thanks, looks like they’re sold out (as is D’Artagnan), but I’ll keep an eye out for these.