The Morchella is the generic name for the common morel fungi, the name is said to come from morchel, an old German word meaning "mushroom' and the specific epithet elata is Latin and simply means tail! These fungi look very strange and you wouldn't think they are edible, they do contain hydrazine toxins which get killed off when cooked, but if you don't cook them well enough you will get sick and serve stomach pains.
With this fungi be very sure to not confuse it for deadly poisonous False Morel Gyromitra esculenta, whose cap is paler and has a brain-like surface rather than the pitted surface black morel fungi have.
How to identify true black morel fungi
Pay very close attention to the cap shape and if the interior is hollow, morels have a ridged and pitted inwards. The stem will be attached to the stem not hanging free. You want to make sure as there is another species called "half-free morels" where only the bottom of the cap hangs freely from the stem.
After you have looked at these factors, the next step is to cut the mushroom in half to see if the stem is hollow. A true morel will be hollow inside from the tip of the cap to the bottom of the stem. Another thing to note is true morels caps are longer than their stem.
These fungi grow on ash, elm, and apple trees, they fruit in the spring! anywhere from February to June, but in cooler climates sometimes they can fruit a little later in the year (May-June).
Their spore print is creamy pale to a light yellow.
Make sure when you are cooking morels that the mushroom is not soft because that means they are rotten, they should be firm and dry. Avoid morels that are shriveled or soft, wet, and spongy.
Really make sure you check them and clean them for bugs as being hollow and having a lot of little spaces to hide in the cap of the mushroom, you can clean them off with a dry brush from dirt and debris.
To prep the mushrooms to cook, you should slice off the stems after cleaning and slice the mushroom in half lengthwise
Sautéed Morel Mushrooms
Ingredients
1 tablespoon (15ml) vegetable or canola oil
8 ounces (225g) morel mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and split in half lengthwise
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 medium clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon; optional)
2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon (5ml) soy sauce
1 teaspoon (5ml) fresh juice from 1 lemon
1/4 cup (60ml) homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock, or water
1 tablespoon minced fresh herbs, such as chives, chervil, or parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.Heat oil in a large cast iron or stainless steel skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring and tossing occasionally, until well browned, about 4 minutes total.
- Reduce heat to medium-high and add shallot and garlic (if using). Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add butter, soy sauce, lemon juice, and chicken stock or water and cook, swirling pan, until liquid reduces and morels are coated in a creamy sauce, about 1 minute. Stir in herbs, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
I got this recipe from an amazing blog:https://www.seriouseats.com/sauteed-morel-mushrooms