Morilles in our garden

[Cat]

A few weeks ago Jacques, our builder, wandered off down the garden for a wee in a secluded corner, and came back with a handful of morilles.  I'd eaten these before, and even bought dried ones, but it was the first time I'd ever seen real live ones.  I asked him to show me where he'd found them, and he explained that I should check every 2 or 3 days to see if any more had popped up.

Evidently they like slightly chalky, well lit, warm soil, and appear in springtime a few days after a good downpour. Well I've been checking every couple of days, and although it took a while to get my eye in (as they're cunningly disguised by exactly the same colour and texture as old dry leaves)  I've managed to find 4 or 5 each time.

We've had morille omelette, steak in a Banyuls and morille sauce, and veal in a morille and cream sauce in the last few days, and I have to say that the flavour they give is excellent.  Jacques says that the morille season is coming to an end now, and my mushroom forage this morning only rewarded me with one mushroom, so I daresay he's right [:(]

And in case you're wondering, yes, I did wash them well.  I don't think man-pee would add anything to their flavour [+o(]

 

[petra]

Wow Cat! You lucky, lucky, thing! My husband found some once when he was 10 and since then and whenever we were in France in Spring, he would go look for them....yeahh! Sometimes dragging me and the kid's along.

Amazing that they were in your garden.

He found 4 this year and ate them fresh in an omelette too. Then promptly had a bellyache for a while, so I doubt they were morilles?

We used to have a farm in Wales and I miss our own Welsh black beef. Your steak in Banyuls sauce is making me hungry.

[phylisbide]

Our neighbour has found morilles for the first time in her garden this year - she has lived there 38 years! Is it a funny season - or is there an old wives' tale attached?

[Cat]

I was told that they would be just about finished by mid April, so stopped looking for them. A few minutes ago when I went down to empty our post box I spotted an absolute whopper.  I'm going to have another hunt round tomorrow, if there are still some around, and they've been left untouched for a fortnight, there could be some more giants to pick [:)] 

[odile]

Dear Petra - belly ache + morilles! Morilles are one of the best - my favourite dish is Fillet mignon de porc aux morilles. BUT they are extremenly toxic if eaten raw- so it's likely your husband didn't cook them sufficiently when making an omelet.

Another fantastic mushroom to pick at this time of year is the St George's mushroom - or mousseron de la Saint George (the word mushroom comes from mousseron) - it's white, of uneven shape with a slightly rolled edge and smells strongly of flour. Have you found any yet.  bonne chance et bon appetit    Odile