Morels are also known as the sponge mushroom. These distinctive mushrooms appear honeycomb-like; they have a wide stem topped by a globular or conical hollow cap 6-12cm in height. Morels range in colour from blonde to brown to grey. The head and stem should be firm and unblemished; they should be dry and velvety to the touch, not sticky. The most prized of the morels is the dark coloured, short stems with round caps.
Morels grow abundantly in the two and sometimes three years immediately following a forest fire. Trees commonly associated with morel include ash, sycamore, tulip tree, dead and dying elms, cottonwoods and old apple trees. Morels are a fairly expensive variety of mushroom as they have not yet been successfully harvested. It is very difficult to describe a morel’s renowned flavour with its overtones of hazelnut and meat. Wash morels quickly, under a trickle of water and blot dry immediately. Start to cook morels on a low heat in order to sweat them, when their cooking water has evaporated they can then be braised or sautéed. Cooking morels with a simple knob of butter will bring out its character and richness; they are also wonderful as an accompaniment to dishes. Do not eat morels raw as they are very toxic.
Australian Wild Morels are available August to October.
French Wild Morels are available April to May and occasionally throughout the year. Minimum order is 1kg
Chanterelles also know as girolles in France. They cultivate in wooded areas in Europe and North America. They grow on the ground under hardwoods or conifers and prefer to grow in less-dense woods or on the sides of roads alongside dense forest. Depending on where they grow alters their colour, when they come from coniferous woods they are almost white while those near oaks are yellow and larger. Winter chanterelles differ by the hollow end of their greyish-brown cap which joins with the stem. Generally speaking though, chanterelles have a yellowish, vase-shaped cap. Their underside is marked with deep irregular wrinkles that extend along the stem, like the girolles. Chanterelles also have a fruity taste, apricot-like odour and prefer slow cooking. Used best simmered in stews, or sautéed.
Cèpe is the French name and porcini is the Italian name for this mushroom. The boletus is very fleshy and the underside of the whole cap is made up of tightly-packed tubes. The boletus is highly prized for its refined flavour; it was first discovered and eaten by an English King in Aquitaine. Then in the late 19th century Alcide Bonton (a great chef of the Café Anglais, the posh-est hang-out in Paris since the time of Napoleon III) reinvented the boletus and made the wild mushroom come back into vogue.
