Description
Enjoy the delightful, earthy flavors of fresh morel mushrooms coated in a crispy golden crust. This recipe features morels soaked overnight, then breaded with a seasoned saltine cracker and flour mix before being pan-fried to perfection in butter and vegetable oil. Serve these crispy fried morels hot for a delicious appetizer or side dish that’s sure to impress.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Morel Mushroom Preparation
- 3/4 to 1 lb Fresh Morel Mushrooms
- Water + table salt for soaking
Breading Mixture
- 2 Sleeves Saltine Crackers
- 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
Egg Wash
- 3 Large eggs
- 1/2 cup Milk
Frying
- 2 cups Vegetable Oil
- 4 tbsp Salted Butter
- Additional Salt for sprinkling after frying
Instructions
- Soak Morel Mushrooms: Rinse the morel mushrooms thoroughly. Slice them in half and soak overnight in salted water to remove any dirt and impurities.
- Dry Mushrooms: Rinse the soaked morels again under fresh water. Lay them out on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels to fully dry before breading.
- Prepare Egg Wash: Beat the eggs together with milk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl. This mixture will flavor and help the breading stick to the mushrooms.
- Coat Mushrooms in Egg Wash: Add the dried morel mushrooms to the egg wash, thoroughly coating each piece.
- Make Breading Mixture: Crush the saltine crackers inside a gallon-sized ziplock bag until finely crushed. Mix the crushed crackers with the all-purpose flour in a bowl.
- Bread the Morels: Working in small batches, dip the egg-coated morels into the cracker and flour mixture, ensuring an even coating. Place the breaded mushrooms on a plate or clean surface and let them rest for 10 minutes to set the crust.
- Heat Oil and Butter: In a skillet, heat the vegetable oil and salted butter over medium-high heat. Monitor carefully to prevent the oil and butter from burning.
- Fry Morel Mushrooms: Fry the morels in batches, cooking each side for 4–5 minutes, or until they develop a crispy golden-brown crust.
- Drain and Season: Remove fried morels and place on paper towels to drain excess oil. Immediately sprinkle with additional salt while still hot.
- Serve: Serve the crispy fried morel mushrooms hot as an appetizer or side dish and enjoy their rich, earthy flavor with a crunchy exterior.
Notes
- If you find an abundance of morels, bread them as instructed and freeze them in a single layer inside a freezer bag for up to 3 months. When ready, thaw and fry as per the recipe.
- Other freezing methods may exist; a quick online search can provide alternative techniques.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in an air fryer or oven to maintain crispiness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 530 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
