The lilac trees are in bloom. Mother’s Day is just around the corner. And the morel mushrooms are popping in these parts. Those prized little glorious sponges of earthy umami goodness! And how better to indulge than sautéed with tender sweet rings of leeks, reduced in wine and perched on top of a divine little bruschetta (a little “tart”-let she says?) with ricotta and lemon zest and finished with an acid punch of pickled shallots.
One might find them battered and fried or served in a cream sauce. Here I wanted to make every possible effort to make certain that the morel mushroom was front and center on top of these morel crostinis -- and not shrouded in a heavy coating or a cream sauce.
Morel mushrooms look otherworldly and don’t taste quite like any other mushroom, range from meaty to buttery and nutty. Referred to as “greys, yellows, and blacks”, my natural favorite are the beautiful “blondes” (see below). That said, all are looked upon as delicacies in mushroom – and culinary – circles.
In my neck of the woods, foraging is popular in wooded areas and along riverbanks, with locals guarding their “honeypots” as tightly as Fort Knox. Sometimes only reached by boat with spotters shoeing off “honeypot poachers”. It’s not unusual to discover the motherlode of hundreds of pounds of freshly “popped” morels in a single visit.
I made my annual foray to see what I could forage and came up with one diminutive morel cap the size of my little toe after a few hours of convening with nature.
And then, just a few hours later a little keyboard sleuthing had me in exchanges with “Melissa” who hooked me up with a pound or two from her “honeypot haul” at a very competitive price. One that I can rationalize once a year.
Next up, just might have to indulge in that morel cream sauce I eschewed earlier and use it to top delicate angel hair pasta or on top of toast with asparagus and a poached egg.
Ingredients
- baguette
- extra-virgin olive oil
- unsalted butter
- fresh morel mushrooms
- leek
- fresh thyme leaves
- dry white wine
- Italian flat-leaf parsley
- whole milk ricotta cheese
- heavy cream
- lemon
- red wine vinegar
- sugar
- shallots
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- pickled asparagus (optional)
- truffles (optional)
See recipe card for quantities.
Jump to RecipeInstructions
Crostini
Preheat broiler. Place French bread slices on a baking sheet. Brush each slice lightly with olive oil.
Place under the broiler for a minute or two watching closely, until toasted. Turn crostini over and repeat. Reserve.
Pickled Shallots
Add vinegar, sugar and salt to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Remove from the heat and stir in the sliced shallots.
Cover let cool completely.
Morel Mushrooms & Leeks
Before cooking, morels should be cleaned by soaking in water. This will release any sand, dirt or bugs. Change out the water a few times. Drain in a colander and pat dry.
Slice morels lengthwise into quarters (more if the morels are large). Thinly slice the leeks into rings.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add morels and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until softened and moisture has released.
Add leeks, stirring consistently until softened, 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir in thyme, salt and pepper.
Add wine and increase heat to medium-high. Continue cooking until wine is reduced.
Remove from heat and stir in minced parsley. Reserve.
Ricotta with Lemon Zest
Add Ricotta with Lemon ingredients to a medium bowl.
whisk together ricotta, heavy cream, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble Morel Crostini
Top bread toasts with ricotta, followed by morels and leeks. Top with a few pickled shallot rings.
Hint: Fresh morels are firm and spongy to the touch, with an earthy aroma. If the tips are flaking apart, they are past their prime. Morels are hollow with ton of ridges where bugs like to hang out making a good soak important.
Cleaning and Storing Fresh Morel Mushrooms
Before cooking, morels should be cleaned by soaking in water. This will release any sand, dirt or bugs. Change out the water a few times. Drain in a colander and pat dry.
Store morel mushrooms in the refrigerator in brown paper bags or a loosely covered container with good ventilation. (Don't store in a plastic bag.) If the morels are just picked, they can last up to a week.
Variations & Substitutions
- There are no substitutions for morel mushrooms. Period. But this recipe can easily be adapted using any variety of mushroom
- Pickled Asparagus Spears - substitute the pickled shallots for pickled asparagus spears. I found a jar in my cupboard and knew they would be perfect on the morel crostini. They were!
- Ricotta and Lemon Zest - mix lemon zest in with a log of goat cheese and use as the bottom layer. To thin, use a little milk.
Equipment
- large saute pan or skillet
- small saucepan
- colander
- serving bowls
- baking sheet
- microplane or zester
Storage
All of the morel crostini ingredients can be made in advance of serving.
Crostini can be stored in an airtight container for up to five days.
Morel Mushroom and Leeks should be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Ricotta with Lemon can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to five days
Store Pickled Shallots covered in their liquid in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
🍽️ Recipe
Morel Mushroom Bruschetta with Leeks, Ricotta and Pickled Shallots
Ingredients
Crostini
- 16 oz. baguette sliced thin (⅓” slices)
- extra-virgin olive oil
Pickled Shallots
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 shallots sliced thin
Morels and Leeks
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 ounces fresh morel mushrooms cleaned and sliced lengthwise
- 1 small leek white and light green part only, sliced thin
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon minced Italian flat-leaf parsley plus more for garnish
Ricotta with Lemon Zest
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- zest of one lemon
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Extras
- pickled asparagus
- truffles
Instructions
Prepare the Crostini/Toasts
- Preheat broiler. Place French bread slices on a baking sheet. Brush each slice lightly with olive oil. Place under the broiler for a minute or two watching closely, until toasted. Turn crostini over and repeat. Reserve
Prepare Pickled Shallots
- Add vinegar, sugar and salt to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and stir in the sliced shallots. Cover let cool completely.
Prepare Morel Mushrooms and Leeks
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add morels and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until softened and moisture has released. Add leeks, stirring consistently until softened, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in thyme, salt and pepper. Add wine and increase heat to medium-high. Continue cooking until wine is reduced. Remove from heat and stir in minced parsley. Reserve.
Prepare Ricotta with Lemon Zest
- In a medium bowl whisk together ricotta, heavy cream, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble
- Top bread toasts with ricotta, followed by morels and leeks and top with a few pickled shallot rings.
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Pairing
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